


Letters Under The Door

by Endraking



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alpha Scott McCall, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Beta Liam Dunbar, Blood Drinking, Blood Kink, Blood and Torture, Dark, Demon Theo Raeken, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, F/M, Forget the night light Theo needs a spotlight, Human Theo Raeken, Human? Theo Raeken, M/M, Multiple letters, Nothing past Season 4, Oblivious Theo Raeken, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Liam Dunbar, Pining Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Scott heads a band, Secret Admirer, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles memes, Theo doesn't know about Supernatural, Theo is so in the dark he needs a night light, Torture, Werewolf Jackson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-02 10:18:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14542554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endraking/pseuds/Endraking
Summary: Theo is a junior at college living with 4 roommates, Scott, Stiles, Jackson, and Liam.  He practically secludes himself and keeps everyone at a distance until he receives a letter that was slid under his door.  Someone admits their feelings for him and the distant loner decides to try to find out who wrote the letter.Chapter 10-TheoI know you aren’t expecting this and I hope you finish reading before you tear it up.  I thought I was the one looking into your soul, into your core but I was wrong.  I haven’t felt human in so many years and you saw that in me.  You looked past the monster and saw me.  I’ve got to find a way to purge myself of the monster within.  I remember not always being this way and maybe, just maybe I might find my way back.  I’ve got a lot to atone for which will probably put me in the ground but at least I can do it on my terms, not the terms of the monster.I hope that whoever you choose to be with makes you happy.  You’ve already dealt with enough sadness and isolation for a lifetime, it’s about time your life filled with love and acceptance.  Live well, Theo.I’ll see you again, one day.I love you.Your Admirer





	1. Letters Under The Door

Letters Under the Door

 

 

Theo sat against the cheap cushioned headboard of his modest queen-sized bed in his otherwise spartan decorated room.  He flipped the page of his human sexuality textbook as he desperately tried to concentrate on reading the material and understanding the concepts.  The music blared from downstairs in the large, Victorian style home that he shared with several roommates.  He loved that he found it and was able to stake his claim to the master bedroom, which appeared near empty with only his bed, a large dresser, his computer desk with bookcase next to it, and comfy bean bag chair.  He wasn’t prepared for how his roommates would treat their first approach to living on their own.

He wasn’t angry with them, more annoyed than anything since he was forced to grow up sooner than any boy should’ve.  His parents and sister died in a fire when he was only 9, while he was at a friend’s house for a sleepover.  He’d lost everything then and bounced from the homes of relatives before he finally ended up with his maternal grandmother, Mildred.  She’d been a good enough guardian, quite a bit more dedicated to the disciplinary aspect of parenting than the loving side.  He learned to think, act, and view himself as an adult by the time he turned 13. 

He didn’t mind having to do adult work as he grew up and by the time he turned 18 he could weld, do carpentry work, and rewire an entire house, since that’s practically what he had to do for his grandmother.  He had trouble figuring out if she ever really loved him, the woman was almost impossible to deal with, had a vicious cold anger streak a mile long, and always had a quick witted, degrading barb to answer any question, usually before they were asked.  He knows that is where his tongue came and by the time he turned 15 he was throwing them back to her as fast and accurate as she could. 

He didn’t hate her, though he doubted if he really loved her, the deaths of his family shocked him emotionally in a way that he never really recovered.  He appreciated what she did and was surprised, initially, when his graduation and acceptance to college gift was a new silver Toyota Highlander.  He was only initially surprised because the old curmudgeon followed up the gift of the key with a phrase devoid of love, “I’ve finished my job.  Have your stuff out by tomorrow evening.”

Which brings him to the beautiful Vollmond college campus, or just at a mile from it near the original downtown area of Cypress Grove.  He loved the house and while he would’ve paid for it by himself, since the money from his parent’s will was left in a trust for him, he’d rather have the roommates and try to make friends. 

His freshman year had been a disaster with him spending most of his time in his tiny, single room apartment on campus or at the library.  He had trouble connecting with people and most that tried to talk to him couldn’t deal with how effortlessly he could cut them down.  He didn’t mean to be cruel, but it was difficult to change how he was raised.

The music changed from some crappy frat boy songs to something more recent, some pop song about a girl having a rough time in life, sung by a girl practically swimming in money and privilege.  The irony wasn’t lost on him.  His roommates had drastically different tastes in just about everything but were friends and knew each other from high school or earlier which left him out of the loop.  The only one he remembered well was Scott McCall, he’d been in elementary school with him until the house fire, and he vaguely remembered Stiles Stilinski, but they’d just been on the same intramural sports team for a couple of his formative years. 

Stiles didn’t seem like the same boy he remembered, sure he was a motor mouth then but now it was difficult to get in a word edgewise.  And he learned early on to NEVER get him talking about something he was passionate about unless you had several hours to discuss, see or hear examples, and generally dive into the subject.  You also had to watch out for his excited flailing and gesticulation.  The man was the epitome of speaking with one’s body.

Liam Dunbar wasn’t difficult to read.  The younger man was a boiling cauldron of anger concealed by an endless font of playful energy wrapped in the guise of a puppy.  He was the resident jock of the household, the only one to receive a full ride athletic scholarship.  He idolized Scott since the older man was once the captain of his lacrosse team back in high school.  Theo didn’t understand the excessive admiration but accepted it at face value.

Then there was Jackson, their poster child for privilege and proof that with enough money, anything could happen.  Since they became roommates, over a year ago, he could count on one hand the number of times the playboy attended classes and yet he still had a sterling GPA.  He knew the adopted son of a lawyer was smart and driven but he didn’t witness much of that in his academic pursuits.

Lastly Scott, the only friend he still spoke to from school.  The only friend he knew from his childhood since Mildred was quite strict on him spending any time with the other kids out of some outlandish fear that he would join a gang or something.  Scott was a budding musician and played in a local band.  Theo would never admit it to the toffee skinned man with the world’s most perfect broken smile, but he relaxed best when his friend practiced on his bass.

Scott was also the one that broke him away from his studying when he heard the three gentle knocks on his bedroom door.  Theo debated grabbing a shirt but opted to just walk to the door is his Slytherin lounge pants.  He opened the door slowly and saw the welcoming smile of the dark-haired musician.  Scott eagerly asked, “Don’t you want to come downstairs, Theo?  My band is here, and the other guys invited their friends over.  We’ve got a keg in the backyard.”

Theo raised an eyebrow and dismissively replied, “Scott, I’m trying to study.”

Scott furrowed his brow in confusion as he muttered, “Theo, it’s our second week of our junior year.  And a Friday.  And I know for a fact your next class isn’t until Monday morning.”

Theo smirked as he remarked, “And how do you know that?”

The musician’s smile slowly slid across his mouth, “You post your schedule on the fridge.”

The loner quickly recovered, “I was just making sure you actually pay attention to what I put there.”

Stiles stumbled down the hallway towards them, his feet clunking loudly against the hardwood floors.  He laughed as he collided with Scott and Theo almost took the opportunity to close the door but realized that Scott was holding it open.  Stiles drunkenly smiled, his eyes already glassy as he spoke, “Dude, you’ve got to see this, Jackson and Liam are doing keg stands to see who can do it the longest.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “Why am I not surprised?  With those two, it’s always a dick measuring contest.”

Even drunk, Stiles sly grinned and quickly responded, a hint of lust in his voice, “And how does yours measure up, Theo?”

Theo raised an eyebrow, “My what?”

Stiles’ grin grew as he continued, “Your dick, you know cock, man meat, one eyed purple headed yogurt slinger.  The scepter of you family jewels.  Your prick?”

Scott blushed as he shot a glare to his drunk best friend and Theo smirked, a little red in the cheeks, “I guess it will just have to be a mystery to you.”

Liam shouted from downstairs, “Scott, Stiles, Get Theo out of his bubble and down here.  Jackson just beat me, but I think our resident loner could beat him.”

Jackson immediately yelled in response, “The only thing Raeken can beat is his own meat.”

Theo glared at both men, his eye brow raised, “Well, there you have it.  I can apparently only beat my meat, so if everyone is done with this “invite the loner kid” to the party, I’ll get back to my studying.”

Scott lowered his head, a look of shame flashed across his face as he began, “Theo, I’m sorry I- “

Stiles interrupted, a few seconds behind Theo’s comment thanks to many drinks as he replied, “Damn, Theo.  That’s not what we are saying.  Jackson is- “He yelled the next word, “AN ASSHOLE” before he continued normally, “Dude, we just know you are lonely.  Come down, have some fun, meet some people.”

Theo quickly responded with a bit of bite in his voice, “Are we done?  I’ve got reading to finish.”

Stiles nodded once and turned towards the stairs as he yelled, “Whittemore, you’re an asshole, the biggest asshole in the whole world.  If the world were nothing but assholes, you’d be the emperor god king asshole.”

Scott looked up and met the loner’s intense, aggravated gaze, “I’m sorry Theo.  If you want to come down later, we’d like that.  And I can turn down the music, so you can read.”

Theo shook his head in defeat, “Scotty, get back to the party.  I’m fine.  Have fun, you’re only young once, right?”

Scott smiled and nodded as he walked towards the stairs.  Theo closed the door and walked back to his bed.  He picked up his text and sat down as he read through the first few chapters.  Just as he was getting ready to call it a night, a folded piece of paper slid under the door opening and glided to the center of his floor.

He picked it up and opened the paper.  It was a page from one of the stationaries he hung in the kitchen for notes around the house.  It read:

_Theo_

_I wished you would come down, so I could see you.  I want to gaze into your beautiful eyes and whisper all the sweet and dirty thoughts that come to mind when I see you.  I know you can’t stand all these fake people annoying you.  But, to you, I’m always real.  If I don’t see you tonight, I know I’ll see you Sunday.  Your early morning runs are the reason to wake up on a weekend.   Last week’s shirtless run almost killed me in every good way.  See you on campus._

_-Your Admirer_

Theo folded the letter and walked to his door, opening it just a crack.  A couple was making out at the top of the staircase and he walked towards them.  With the clearing of his throat he interrupted them and said, “Did either of you slide this under my door?”

The brown-haired stranger shook his head and the strawberry blonde woman said, “Some guy went to your door.”

Theo almost demanded, “What did he look like?”  The loner quickly noticed from her glassy, red rimmed eyes and sway that she wasn’t going to tell him much as she began to speak, “He was hot.  That’s all I remember.”

Theo rolled his eyes and stormed to his room.  He tossed the letter on his computer desk before he turned off the light and went to bed.  His mind raced as he tried to figure out who could’ve left the letter.  At least he’d get an idea when he goes for his Sunday early morning run.


	2. Sunday Funday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo goes on his Sunday morning run with the intentions of finding out who wrote the letter.

Sunday Funday

 

 

Saturday passed exactly how Theo thought it would, his roommates either slept or lounged until late in the afternoon while he finished up his assignments for his classes through the entire week.  He always enjoyed it when his professors would post assignments and areas of study weeks in advance.  Only when he was ahead in his work could he relax.  After he returned from the auto bays and servicing his truck, he sat in his room and realized that he didn’t have much else planned for the day.  His eyes drifted back to the letter, which he still couldn’t believe he kept.

He sat at his computer desk and stared at the folded piece of paper.  Some anonymous person liked him.  Some anonymous guy, since that was the one thing the girl could remember, that and he was hot.  Maybe his roommates were right, maybe he should get out of his room, out of his head and meet people.  It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to approach and talk to people, he just didn’t like to do it unless he needed something.

Theo would readily admit, completely straight faced, that he used people.  It was easy enough to justify since everyone uses people.  The only difference he saw was how quickly others would defend their actions and words as something they weren’t. 

Maybe that was his problem.  When he thought about it, people in general were pretty bad and he was perfectly fine being a pretty bad person.  His parents showed him how to be opportunistic in life, their careers were in sales and marketing and then what he didn’t learn from them, his grandmother finished off.  That woman could convince someone she was giving them the shirt off her back while fleecing them for money/favors/good will.  Mildred really was a piece of work.  Let it never be said that Theodore Raeken was a bad student.  He learned, adapted, and wielded these talents as easily as he breathed.

The only problem with his idea were the signs that went against it, his roommates in particular.  They looked out for each other.  They helped each other.  They never demanded anything from each other but maybe their attention or the next in line for whatever multi player shooter/sports game/ or fighting game they played.  They seemed to treat each other as an extension of the self which made no sense to the loner. 

Then the letter came back to mind.  Someone saw him and liked what they saw.  Sure, he knew he was attractive.  He’d used his body in his manipulations as well.  To him though, it was just another tool for the arsenal. 

But this person called him out on his disdain for roughly 90% of the population of where ever he happened to be.  And complemented him on it.  So, whoever wrote this is as equally fucked in the head as he was.  That thought brought a smile to his face. 

Then there was the point where this asshole ANONYMOUSLY left him the letter.  That burned him up the worst.  He had to know who wrote this and he would find out one way or another.  The man left a clue though, he watches him on Sunday when he goes for his early morning relaxing runs.  Most days he just runs on the treadmill at the school gym, but Sunday’s were special. 

Every man needs a ritual and since he found himself firmly an atheist, his religion became embracing his place in the physical world with physical exhaustion.  It was simple and suited his needs.  When he was younger he trained as a boxer but quit after achieving his goal as a regional golden glove winner.  That’s when he found his release in just running, not from or towards anything, just for the journey of steps.

Theo thought how he would capture his admirer as he opened his closet and decided what he would wear for his run. 

He avoided his roommates the rest of the day and called it an early night when he finished reading the latest Sci-fi novel that caught his eye in the book store.

 

His alarm didn’t even have to go off before the eager loner was up and ready for the world.  He changed out of his lounge pants and pulled on his thin, short, softly flowing black running shorts.  He chuckled to himself because these were the shorts that made Scott’s jaw drop the first time he saw them and Stiles’ statement, “Why are you running in panties?”

Theo finished tying his vibrant neon green, red, and black running shoes before he made his way downstairs.  He fixed his Bluetooth headphones as he slid his phone into his black bicep phone sleeve.  His Sunday morning play list began.  He really enjoyed fast pace songs for his runs, not that they were his favorite, but their rhythm helped him push forward.

By the time he stepped out of the house, none of his roommates were awake.  He walked down the high wooden steps from the wrap-around porch and down the paved walkway to the tiny decorative fence.  He noticed the local paper hadn’t arrived yet so either the delivery boy was late, or he was fifteen minutes early.

The loner grinned as he consciously decided to keep his eyes peeled for anyone that might’ve been at the party.  As he began his incredibly long run down the scenic streets of downtown Cypress Grove he realized that he wouldn’t really know who was at the party and who wasn’t.  Theo groaned at his revelation, but he’d already started the plan, with a light sheen of sweat beginning to cover his exposed, ripped chest. 

By the time he’d finished his first five miles, he stopped in the park near the far side of campus.  He lightly jogged to the water fountain and drank before he let the water pour into his cupped and ran it through his sweat slick hair.  When he turned around, a taller, light wavy brown-haired boy wearing jeans and a maroon “Vollmond” shirt tried to speak to him.

Theo pulled out his ear pieces and the taller man nervously repeated, “I tried to call out to you when you ran to the park.”

Theo’s eyebrow crept up as he asked with only the slightest curiosity to offset the noticeable dismissiveness, “And you are?”

The guy smiled and extended his right hand, “Isaac, Isaac Lahey.  I was at the party Friday night.  I’m in the band.”

Theo’s tone continued, “Band?”

Isaac nervously half smiled, “Yeah, SKA-ahty Doesn’t Know.  You know Scott’s band.”

Theo nodded a few times as his eyebrow dropped, and a small smile ripened, “Yeah.  Scott’s band.”  The loner took the man’s hand and shook it before he asked, “I didn’t expect to see anyone else out this early.”

Isaac shrugged, “Yeah.  I like getting up early.  Everything seems so peaceful this early.  Especially on a Sunday.”

Theo’s eyes flitted to the man’s and he couldn’t help but get a little lost in those blues.  Isaac must’ve caught the look because his cream-colored skin lightly blushed, the red spread from his cheeks to his nose and ears.

Theo shook his head and laughed nervously, “It is different.  I should get back to my run.  I’m only a third of the way done.”

Isaac gasped before he asked, “How far do you run?”

Theo shrugged and casually responded, “Most Sundays, between 10-15 miles.  It sounds like a lot but it’s more of a long, relaxing jog.  Today is a 15.  See you later, Isaac.”

Isaac smiled and waved as Theo popped the earbuds back in and continued his run.  He made it past the history and arts buildings, around the far side of the certification hands-on training buildings before he stopped near the metal working bays.  He stepped up to another water fountain and saw another man walking towards him. 

He was quite a few inches taller than the loner, with bushy brown hair and wore a lightweight, dark green hoodie and shorts.  Theo removed his earbuds again as the guy asked, “I’ve seen you around, at the gym and running the sidewalks and cross-country trails.  You’re Theo, right?”

While he was riding the endorphins, he was nicer, but he couldn’t help but poke fun at this obvious jock, “Yeah, my name is Theo, today!  Who knows what it might be tomorrow?”

The man laughed before he said, “I’m Brett.  You’ve got an awesome setup.  I wish I had roommates like yours.”

Theo smirked as he responded, “You can have them.  How do you know that thought?”

Brett cracked a hungry smile, “I’m on the team.  Liam invited me, and I finally showed up.”

Theo caught the look in the tall man’s piercing green eyes and responded, “I’m sure Liam was happy you FINALLY were able to pull yourself away to go to his party.”

Brett stepped closer as he almost whispered, his voice hinting towards more, “If I would’ve know you lived there, I would’ve went sooner.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “Smooth.  Do your lines usually work?”  He tilted his head playfully to the side as he mocked him.

Brett grinned at the challenge, “Usually.  Especially if I offer them breakfast afterwards.  Want to grab a bite?”

Theo shook his head as he laughed, “Nope, I always eat breakfast, at home, when I finish my runs.  Good try though.  Almost an A for effort.”

Before Brett could respond, the loner popped his earplugs back in and continued his run.  Brett followed for almost a block before he gave up the chase.  As he grew closer to finishing his run, he noticed more people out and more pairs of eyes on him. 

Theo ate the attention up.  He basked in the eyes and dirty thoughts sent his way.  He was almost completely drenched with sweat when he stepped back into the main room, which opened towards the huge kitchen and dining area.  When he stepped inside, he heard laughter as the guys stood around the island with their phones out.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, Liam darted towards him and tightly hugged him as he said, “I love you Theo.”

Theo raised his eyebrow, “Why?”

Jackson commented, lightly but with firm disinterest, “You embarrassed Brett.  He took pictures of you in your “rare” form and posted them saying “Future Breakfast Date”.

Theo looked to Stiles and Scott and once again saw the reddened cheeks of Scott as the musician’s eyes told the story of how he would remove the last few articles of clothing.

Stiles commented, “I can’t believe you wore that outside.  That could count as indecent exposure or something.”

Theo smugly smirked as he picked up the folded daily paper from the island, “Of course you’d think that Stiles.  No children were harmed in my little run.”

Stiles continued, “Funny that you should mention that.”

Theo shook his head and ignored the rest as he carried the paper up to his room.  When he opened it, his heart almost stopped?

**GIRL FOUND DEAD AT VOLLMOND**

Theo instantly recognized her.  She was the strawberry blonde girl.  He eagerly digested the article and commented to himself, “Death by Exsanguination”?  What is going on here?"


	3. Going Out?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo finds out who the girl who died was. He goes to a bar with Liam in tow.

Going Out?

 

 

**GIRL FOUND DEAD AT VOLLMOND**

 

He didn’t know why those words bothered him or why he was even as invested into going to the school’s website to see if anything was listed about her and what happened.  The boards were lit up with student’s and faculty comments about what happened.  Most appeared to be prayers and wishes for her family while others, fueled by fear and uncertainty, demanded answers, whether to what happened, why it happened, and to the question of their safety.

_Stacy Holmes._

The name _Stacy Holmes_ was mentioned and while the paper didn’t list it, the students of Vollmond gladly gave up the information.  It took reading through quite a few posts before he realized that she was in two of his classes; Human Sexuality and Neurobiology.

He stared at the screen, his mind raced with detached, ill formed, empty thoughts as he grasped with a bit of knowledge.  He could’ve known her.  He should’ve known her.  He spoke to her, apparently just a few hours before she died.  He was connected to her even if he didn’t know her.  A thin, cold sweat glazed his brow as the pit of uncertainty with a healthy dose of fear settled into his stomach. 

Almost mechanically, he pulled himself from the seat and walked into the bathroom attached to his room.  The larger white room was almost entirely empty except his sparse toiletries and cleaners on the counter, his dark green towels that hung from the rack and the equally green shower curtain.  After he finished his shower, he still felt numb.  He thought that maybe he could get his mind off the what-ifs but they stayed firmly lodged in his skull.

He tossed his dirty clothes in the cloth hamper near his closet and put on a thin black hoodie and jeans.  He knew he couldn’t just sit in his room, the anxious energy in his limbs wouldn’t let him study, much less relax.  After he tied his chucks, he looked back to the message board.  He read the comments and verified through his emails, that his classes for the next day were cancelled. 

Rumors circulated among the social media for the school, but he learned something else as he scrolled through.  Apparently, a student named Lydia found her body on the cross-country trail that wove through the forest surrounding the small college town.  His mind raced again, that was the trail he would run.  He knew the bends and winds, the off shoots where students would sneak off and have romantic picnics or quick fucks.  He could’ve found her body it he would’ve ran the morning prior.  It was almost too much.

By the time he pulled himself away from the conspiracy theories and endless sending of hopes, it was late afternoon.  He grabbed his keys and wallet and walked out of his room and down the stairs.  Scott, Liam, and Stiles sat on the long leather sectional as they played another round of whatever rendition Call of Duty just came out with.  As he moved to the door, Liam called out, “Hey, Theo.  Where are you going?”

The three sets of eyes turned to him and demanded he give an answer as he looked to them.  True to his irritation, he stated, “Out, like everyone says I should.”

Liam threw his legs over the back of the couch and hopped to stand, his BHHS lacrosse training t shirt and shorts ruffled from the movement, “Well, yeah, but where?”

Theo shrugged, “I don’t know.  Where other people are.  Maybe try to make one of those friends that you guys rave about.”

Liam’s eyes widened, and he bounced on his heels, a warm smile spread across his face, “Can I come with you?”

Theo knew he shouldn’t agree, knew he should just ditch the younger man, but the words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them, “Yeah.  You’ve got two minutes before I leave.”

Liam’s smile beamed from his eyes as he quickly ran to his room and said, “Just getting my shoes!”

Scott addressed Theo, “Is everything alright?”

Theo glared at the musician.  He knew what Scott was trying to do but he wasn’t one to just share his feelings.  He remarked, “Yeah.  Everything is peachy.  All my classes are cancelled for tomorrow, so I should do something right?”

As Liam rounded the hallway door, his shoes in hand, Stiles commented, “You could take Brett up on his offer.  He’s a skilled photographer.  He really captured your inner monologue as it ran down your skimpy running shorts.”

Theo smirked, and Liam glared at Stiles as he put his shoes on.  Stiles laughed at the jock with a knowing look and smile.

When Liam finished he looked to Theo, “I’m ready!”

Scott called to both, “Be careful.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Theo rolled his eyes and droned, “Yes, Grandmother” as he opened the door and walked to his truck.  Liam confidently, yet eagerly followed Theo.  Once they got into the truck and Theo started driving, Liam asked, “So where are we going?”

Theo shrugged, “I don’t know.  I’m thinking I could go for a drink.”

Liam asked, a bit confused, “But you almost never drink.”

Theo looked to the blue eyes, “I also almost never let you in my truck.  So, don’t question it.”

Liam nervously laughed, and they drove in silence.  Theo passed the main strip of bars near the college as he headed out of the main Cypress Grove area.  Liam nervously looked to Theo, “T-man, you passed all the bars.”

The loner commented dismissively, “You mean the bars filled with young adults crying into their beers about a girl they didn’t know, pass.”

Liam blinked a few times as he asked, “What are you talking about?”

Theo shook his head, “You know, Stacy Holmes, the girl from the party.  She’s dead.”

Liam’s eyes widened as he coughed at the word, “WHAT?”

The loner nodded his head slowly as he pulled the truck into a dirt parking lot next to a run down wooden building.  There was a line of bikes parked next to the building itself.  “Yeah.  Her body was found on the cross-country trails.  Did you know her?”

Theo turned off the truck and exited as Liam followed and answered, “Not really.  I think she was a friend of a friend of Jackson’s.  I can’t believe she’s dead.”

Theo sighed in annoyance as he walked towards the bar, “If you are going to get all sad and self-reflective right now, I’ll leave you in the truck.”  He followed up with a bit of a grin, “Without the AC on.”

Liam huffed as they walked through the wooden double doors into the run-down bar.  Theo assessed the clientele, there were a couple of guys playing pool in the far-right corner away from the bar, three empty tables finished out that side.  The bar lined the left side of the wall and three guys sat at the end of the bar.  All the men wore beaten up riding leathers except for the tallest and largest man who wore a worn and dusty denim vest.

Theo walked to the worn barstools closest to the door and sat down.  Liam looked around for a moment before he followed Theo and sat next to him.  He whispered, “Theo, we shouldn’t be here.”

Theo smugly grinned as the grizzled bartender in a holey flannel walked over.  “Liam, you’ve said I need to meet people, this place is full of new people.”

The bartender grunted, “What’ll it be?”

Theo answered the bartender while Liam looked around nervously, “Two beers.”

The man nodded and walked over to the well-used taps and poured the glasses.  Liam stated, “You didn’t even tell him what kind of beer.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “No shit.  You aren’t getting a microbrew IPA here.  All they serve is piss water, you do want piss water, right?”

Liam sighed, clearly nervous about drinking there.

When the drinks arrived, Theo handed a bill to the bartender who only grunted and walked back to the register.  When Theo took a sip, he heard the loud laughter coming from the end of the bar.  The man in the denim vest pointed at them and said, “Lookey here boys.  Gotta couple a fairies fresh from the university.”

Liam glared at the man while Theo ignored him and took a drink from his glass.  It tasted stale and flat, a contrast to the menacing vibe he was receiving in the bar that smelled like piss, vomit, and blood.

The men laughed together and the loud one continued, “Look at the short one.  I bet he’s the girl.”

Liam pushed his barstool back and Theo placed his hand on the jock’s shoulder, “Liam, relax.  He wants a fight and you don’t want that.”

The loud man continued as he stood up, “You boys chose the wrong bar.”

Theo stood up and walked closer to the man, “I think you’re right.  I would say it stinks in here, but I think that’s just you.”

Liam fought back a giggle as the man stepped closer.  He barked, “Whaja say boy?”

Theo eyed the man up.  He stood at least a couple of inches taller and stretched his extra larges.  The man’s thick, wild beard was as beaten as his skin.  Tattoos covered his arms and while they didn’t form a sleeve, they might as well have.  Then something caught the loner’s eye, the stitched in name patch “Jimbo”.

Theo grinned, “I said, Jimbo, that you stink.  Bathing?  Ever heard of it?”

The man stepped closer and Liam threw himself from the stool and stepped in front of Theo.  Jimbo continued, “Idn’t that sweet, his boyfriend wants to fight.”

Anger and irritation filled the loner and he pulled Liam behind him and hissed, “What the fuck do you think you are doing?  You’re on a scholarship, an athletic scholarship.  If this dipshit breaks your wrist or ankle, you are done.  Think for once, Dunbar.”

Jimbo yelled, “What the fuck didju say?”

Theo whipped his head around and stepped towards the man as all the eyes on the bar fell on them, “I said I finally figured out why you sewed your name on your vest.  So, you wouldn’t forget but I’m also guessing they couldn’t fit “Inbred peckerhead” without making the letters smaller.”

The man swung at Theo, a punch from farther than he should’ve, and Theo stepped in and headbutted Jimbo’s fist.  He heard Liam growl as he stepped into the large man’s reach and struck his face twice, jabbing his chin and cheek respectively.  As Jimbo stumbled and his friends stood up, Theo struck him hard with a left hook and the large man crumpled into a heap.

The loner glared at Jimbo’s friends, “Anyone else?  I just wanted a beer, but I’ll teach manners for free.”

The men stared at Theo and Liam grabbed his arm.  The bartender looked to them, “You boys should leave.”

Theo rolled his eyes and shrugged, “Whatever.  It’s been a blast.”  Liam pulled him out of the bar as the other men moved to help their unconscious friend.  They ran to the truck and once they were on the road again, Liam bounced in his seat, “That was awesome.  You could’ve got hurt.”

Theo glared at the jock, “I did.”  He pointed to the knuckles on his left hand, “That dumbass cut my knuckles with his face.”

Liam looked to Theo and remarked, “Your eyes aren’t looking good either.”

Theo sighed, “I know, I didn’t headbutt him the way I should’ve.  I guess I’ll look like a raccoon for a couple of days.”

Liam reached over and touched Theo’s arm, “Do you need anything?”

Theo snarked, “Yeah, for you to realize that you could’ve thrown your college scholarship away for a dipshit like Jimbo.”

Liam argued, “He could’ve really hurt you.”

Theo smirked, “Doubtful, Dunbar.  I can take care of myself.”

 

When they walked in the front door, Liam proudly stated, to Scott, Stiles and Jackson, who sat on the sofa, “Theo beat this guy up at the bar.”

All eyes fell on the loner and Theo felt the throb of pain around his forehead and eyes.  He was right about looking like a raccoon later.  Scott remarked, “What happened?”

Theo answered, “Went to the biker bar outside of town.”

Stiles interrupted, “Why would you go there?  There is always a fight or stabbing or shooting or something happening out there.  It’s not a place you should go.  Plus, their selection is bad, and the prices are cheaper but not worth it.”

The loner glared at Stiles, “I’m sorry I didn’t clear the approved bar lists.”

Jackson asked, “So what happened next?”

Liam continued energetically, “This idiot tried to pick a fight with us and Theo leveled him.”

Theo glared at Liam, “You forgot the part where you wanted to fight him like a dumbass.”

Scott looked to Liam with concern and Jackson commented, “So Theo rescued you, Liam.  How does it feel to be the damsel?”

Liam countered, “Fuck off Jackson.  I could’ve taken him.”

Scott interrupted as he walked over to Theo and checked out the swelling around his forehead and eyes, “Are you alright, Theo?”

The loner smugly smirked, “I’m alright.  No worse than when I used to fight.”

Jackson asked with a raised brow, “You?  A fighter?”

Theo shook his head, “Golden glove regional winner.”

Scott continued, “Still, you guys shouldn’t get into bar fights.”

Theo rolled his eyes and stepped away from his friend’s concern, “I think I’ll grab an ice pack, a couple of ibuprofen, bandage my knuckles and relax.”

Liam ran to the kitchen and grabbed what Theo would need before the loner was able to make much of a move.  The jock looked to him eagerly and Theo relented, “I guess you can bandage up my hand or something.  It’ the least you could do since you couldn’t ignore old Jimbo.”

 

Liam followed Theo up to his room and when the loner sat on his bed, Liam began to wrap a loose layer of gauze around the knuckles.  Once he finished wrapping it, he handed Theo the ice pack and walked over to his desk.  The jock commented as he picked up the letter and another folded piece of paper, “Theo, what’s this?”

Theo peaked over at Liam’s hand and replied, “Some letter someone slid under my door Friday night.”

Liam corrected him, “You mean two letters?”

Theo stood up and walked over to Liam and took the letters.  He opened the second one;

 

_Theo_

_Your beautiful steel and hazel eyes pierced me when we saw each other this morning.  I felt that smoldering connection and I think you did as well.  I don’t want to just keep passing letters, I want to see you not in passing but on purpose.  You’ve lit the kindle of passion ablaze and I want you to warm in its glow._

_-Your Admirer_

Theo shook his head, “When did this get here?”

Liam shrugged playfully, “Don’t know, I was with you, remember?”

Theo groaned and eventually shooed Liam out of his room.  He took a nap as the drain from working out and the adrenaline from the fight wore off.  When he woke up, he felt groggy and detached and wandered out of his room, heading to the kitchen.  When he turned at the top of the stairs, he stopped as he heard an argument between his roommates.

Liam argued, “I think we need to keep an eye on him.”

Jackson sarcastically laughed at the jock’s response, “Let me guess, you want to watch the nighttime activities.”

Stiles argued, “Jackson, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we are being serious.”

Scott asked, “Do we know if there is a connection?”

Stiles responded, “We don’t know much.  Lydia couldn’t tell me a lot.”

Liam pleaded, “But what about Theo?”

When the loner heard his name he inched closer, shuffling down the stairs quietly.

Stiles answered, “Someone should look out for him.”

Scott immediately answered, “I think I should be the one.”

 

Theo loudly responded, his voice instantly silencing them, “Look out for me?  Watch over me?  Are you kidding me?  I am a grown ass man!”

Scott rushed around the table, his browns filled with concern and worry, “Theo, that’s not what we meant.”

Theo smirked, “Then what did you mean, Scotty?  Is this another attempt to help your antisocial roommate?”

Jackson laughed at Theo’s comment and Stiles smacked the back of his head.  Scott continued, “No, Theo.  We’re just worried with what’s happened and the bar fight.”

Theo approached Scott’s caring with disdain, “There wouldn’t have been a bar fight if our star athlete would’ve just let me go by myself.”

Liam’s face fell at Theo’s comment and Scott continued, “We didn’t mean anything by it.  We just worry.”

Theo shook his head, “Why?  Because we split bills for this house?”

Scott stumbled over his words, “Well, no.  It’s just.  We thought.  I thought.”

Theo laughed harshly as he walked to the door, “You thought what?  That poor little Theo is lonely?”  He took a deep breath and commented before Scott could reply, “I let who I want in my life.  Just because I’m not surrounded by friends doesn’t mean I’m lonely.  This might be a news flash, but I like my life the way it is.”

The loner opened the door and slammed it as he walked towards his truck.  He took a deep breath and calmed his nerves as he reflected on how even he almost believed his lie.


	4. Neighbors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo has a conversation with his neighbor from across the street, Nolan. He receives two more notes and apologizes for the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I don't mean to flood with updates and I should just hold off posting this but I couldn't fight back the inspiration. I hope you enjoy. And I doubt I will update anywhere near as fast as I have for the last few chapters.

Neighbors

 

 

Theo stepped away from the door slowly.  He half expected one of his roommates to chase after him but after a few moments standing on the porch, he realized no one came.  He didn’t know why he ran out the front door, besides to get away from his internal rage as his roommates talked about how to handle him and how to look out for him.  Who were they to presume that he needed that? As he stood on the dimly lit porch, the sounds of the insects and low traffic filled the late summer air.

He heard a call from the house across the street.  A meek, nervous voice asked, “Is everything alright?”

Theo took a few steps, down from the porch to the paved walkway, “Yeah, everything is fine.”

The skinny, pale boy, in a black sleeveless hoodie shirt and black skinny jeans darted across the street.  He stood on the other side of the gate, his mop of long brown hair fell across his eyes and he quickly swiped it away to reveal his doe like blue eyes and light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks.  He nervously smiles as he asked, “What happened?”

Theo raised an eyebrow as the boy pointed to his eyes and left hand.  The loner smirked, “Bar fight.”

The boy nibbled on his lower lip before he responded, “I’d hate to see what the other guy looks like.”

Theo laughed at the comment as he stepped closer to the gate, “I didn’t get to see my work.  We were thrown out first.”

The boy laughed as he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m not surprised, Mister Boxer.”

The loner gasped, “What?  How did you know?”

The boy stuttered, “I-I-I googled you.”

Theo tilted his head, “Why would you google me?  Who are you?”

The boy extended his hand, “Nolan Holloway.  You led the orientation for the group of freshmen I was apart of.  It was riveting.”

Theo remarked as he shook the boy’s hand, “I was bored out of my mind, Nolan.”

Nolan nervously laughed, “Yeah.  I wouldn’t bet it would be exciting.”  He glanced back to Theo’s house before looking into the loner’s eyes, “Do you want to hang out since classes are cancelled tomorrow?”

Theo slowly nodded, “Sure, Nolan.  Why not?”

 

The two walked across the street to the considerably smaller but still impressive historic style home that Nolan lived in.  The walked over to the porch swing that hung from the porch ceiling but was behind the large weeping willow tree in their front yard.  From the swing, Theo could see the street and his home rather easily, but he knew he couldn’t see it from the other side.

He sat down on one side and Nolan moved a red cooler to his side and sat down.  They rocked after Nolan reached into the cooler and grabbed them a generic domestic beer before he commented, “I don’t usually see you out at this time of night, unless you are running.”

Theo took a sip then spoke, “Yeah.  Argument with the roommates.  I have four, so it shouldn’t be that surprising.  It just seemed like they were ganging up on me.”

Nolan remarked, “That sucks.  My roommates aren’t too bad, but I haven’t lived with them that long.”

Theo looked back to the window into the living room and noticed the house seemed quiet with no lights on, “Are they out?”

Nolan seemed distracted for a moment before he replied, “Yeah.  They went to the candle light vigil at school.”

Theo raised a brow at the boy, “You didn’t go with them?”

He shook his head, “No.”

The loner further inquired, “Why not?  Your friends are there, right?”

Nolan twisted his mouth in a cute way before he shrugged, “Don’t know.  I guess they are there, but I didn’t like her.”

Theo tilted his head, “Stacy, you knew Stacy?”

Nolan’s eyes lit up as he answered, “Yeah.  I met her a few times.  Nothing too much, she was a friend of a friend of Gabe’s.”

Theo nodded slowly, “And you aren’t there?”

Nolan took a drink of his beer and let it sit in his mouth for a moment before he swallowed.  He continued, “I don’t see why I should go.  I didn’t like her and it’s not like I wished this but I’m not going to pretend my entire world is shaken because I girl I didn’t like died.  It seems so, fake, you know.”

Theo grinned at the statement and took another drink, “I know what you mean Nolan.  You practically read my mind.”

Nolan grinned as he changed the subject, “What happened with the bar fight though?  You must’ve been impressive to watch.”

The loner beamed from the praised, “I wouldn’t know how I looked but you could ask Liam, he was there.”

Nolan remarked, “I don’t know if I like Liam.”

Theo raised his brow, “Why?”

Nolan answered after he took another drink of his beer, “I’m kind of friends with Brett and those two do NOT get along well.  They are like oil and water.”

Theo almost accused the frail teen, “You are friends with THAT Brett?  He’s a tool.”

Nolan laughed as their eyes met.  He answered, “Brett can be a tool, but he isn’t always that bad.  He can be sweet.”

Theo rolled his eyes and incredulously responded, “Sure.  And Stiles merely knows how to comment occasionally.”

Nolan shook his head as he chuckled and asked, “So what happened?”

Theo explained, “This biker with a name tag of Jimbo wanted to pick a fight.  He called Liam and I fairies from the college and I just got tired of hearing his voice.  He wanted to talk shit, so I talked it right back.  He didn’t like it so one thing led to another and then he was unconscious on the nasty biker bar floor.  Nothing too much to tell.”

Nolan commented, “I bet you were awesome.”

 

The two sat on the porch swing and drank the a few beers a piece as they talked about school and their friend circles, which surprised Theo when he found out that Nolan had just about as few friends as he did.  The hours waned, and Theo yawned after he finished his third beer, “I should probably head home.”

Nolan nibbled his lip before he nervously asked, “I-If you are worried about your roommates, you could always crash here tonight.”

Theo stood up and popped his back as he responded, “Nah, I should head back home.  I don’t want Scotty putting out an APB.”

Nolan tilted his head in confusion, “Why would he do that?”

Theo shrugged, “Because he still thinks I’m that fragile boy from the fourth grade.”  The loner took a deep breath before his tone shifted, “It’s been fun Nolan.  Thanks for the beers and getting my mind off some things.”

Nolan rushed to stand as Theo started to walk away, “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?”

Theo shrugged and casually responded, “Don’t know.  I might study, might got to the metal shop, might work on the house, I haven’t decided.”

The nervous teen responded eagerly, “If you decide and want company, let me know.”

Theo nodded as he walked away, “Later Nolan.”

“Later Theo.”

 

When Theo stepped back into his house, the lights were off, and he could see Stiles, passed out on the couch with the Netflix “Are you still watching” screen on the TV.  He chuckled as he walked up the stairs and stepped into his room.  He felt his foot slip as he stepped and caught himself.  He looked to the floor and found another letter.  It read:

_Theo_

_I don’t know if I would be able to find the words to talk to you.  It seems like every time I try, my mind goes blank and my tongue stops working.  You’re so much more than people see.  You are the blinding sun on the morning horizon, the full moon in the sky on a clear night.  I just want to bask in your light._

Theo set the letter down with the other two on his desk and noticed the different styles and while the writing looked similar, they were written by two different hands.  He rolled his eyes as he cleaned up and readied himself for bed.  He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, the days exhaustion and the beers did their trick on him.

 

Theo woke up late, the house already a bustle of activity, Scott and his band were practicing in the basement, he also heard the TV in the living room blasting some shooting game.  He groaned as he pulled the pillow over his head.  He sighed to himself as he fought the feeling in his gut, not the turn from drinking cheap beer, but the one where he should apologize to his roommates for storming out. 

After he got out of bed and cleaned up, making sure to wear his salmon colored t shirt and black skinny jeans, he walked towards his door.  Another note was folded just inside the threshold.  He knelt and picked it up and opened it.  In large bold letters, it read:

**REMOVE KEBAB**

He shook his head as he balled up the paper and tossed it into the small plastic bin next to his desk.  He walked down the stairs and looked to the living room couch and saw Liam in the center, a dark-haired man to his left and Jackson on the right.  In the chair beside the couch, a pale girl with long red hair sat and looked to be the epitome of disinterested.  Liam glanced to the stairs and paused the game which caused Jackson and the other boy to groan and complain.  Liam stood up, “Theo.  I didn’t know you were still here.  We didn’t wake you or anything, right?”

Theo shook his head and the girl commented, “Theo, sweetie, what happened to your face?”

The loner knew from looking in the mirror after showering that he had some swelling to his forehead but under his eyes were crescent moons a vibrant shade of purple.  Jackson answered before he could speak, “Lyds, he took a blow to the face protecting his damsel in distress.”

Liam gasped as Lydia followed up, “Was she at least grateful?  It looks painful.”

Jackson grinned as he elbowed Liam, “I don’t know.  Liam are you grateful?”

Liam shoved Jackson and the two laughed as Liam replied, “I’m not a damsel in distress.”

The dark-haired boy looked from Liam to Theo and back, “Dude, you’re unharmed and he looks like he went the distance.  So, that might make you the damsel.”

Liam shoved the boy, “Shut up Mason.”

Theo continued down the stairs and said, “I was up.  So, this is Mason” he looked to the dark-haired boy before he looked to Lydia, “And this is Lydia.”

It took a moment before he asked, “Lydia Martin?  The girl that found the body?”

Lydia rolled her eyes before she responded, “I can’t be known as Lydia Martin, top student in the math program.  I can’t be known as Lydia Martin, tutor and fashion extraordinaire.  I get to be known as Lydia, the girl that found the body.  I blame Scott for this.”

Jackson and Liam laughed while Mason looked as confused as Theo.  Theo shook his head as he stood in front of the door, “I’m going out.”

Liam nervously bit his lip and asked, “Do you want me to go with you?”

Theo laughed lightly as he shook his head, “World of No.  Last time you tagged along, this happened.”  He made an exaggerated point to his face.

Liam looked destroyed by the comment and slid down into the sofa as Jackson asked, “Where are you going?”

Theo shrugged, “I think I’m going to work on some art.”  Before anyone could ask anything else, he stepped out the front door.  He heard the practice session of Scott’s.  He appreciated the sax and trumpets with the strings and drums.  He liked their sound even if that wasn’t exactly his type of music.

Before he reached his truck, he heard Scott call out, “Hey, Theo, wait up.”

Theo turned and faced the musician, “What’s up?”

Scott looked around nervously before he started, “I just want to say I’m sor- “

Theo cut him off, “Don’t worry about it.  We were both shitty last night.  Water under the bridge.  This saves me from having to apologize.”

Scott asked with a small smile, “So you aren’t mad?”

Theo shook his head, “No, I just needed to clear my head last night.  The band sounds good.”

The musician’s smile grew as he replied, “Thanks.  If you want to see us play, we have a gig Friday night.”

The loner nodded, “I might just take you up on that.  I’m going to go create some art.  Enjoy your practice.”

Scott’s smile seemed to grow just a hint more before he said, “Sounds good.  Have fun.”

Theo hopped into his truck and drove to the scrapyard just outside of town.  After grabbing a few metal bike frames left to rust and some slats of old sheet metal, he drove to the metal shop on campus.

He paid the fee to rent one of the rooms and backed his truck into the bay.  He stopped by the locker he rents and pulled out his torches, fuel, and safety equipment. 

Theo wouldn’t admit this often, but he loved to work with his hands.  He loved the feeling of the metal as he cut it and warped it to shape the images in his mind.  The sparks flew as he cut the bike frames into the sections and sizes he wanted.  Hours passed, and he managed to form the frame for the giant metal star he was creating.

He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him as a hand was placed on his shoulder.  He jumped and almost torched his work, maneuvering quickly to extinguish the torch.  He set it down and lifted his mask to see Liam.  He glared at him, “What is it Liam?  You almost caused me to cut my work in half.”

Liam took a step back nervously and replied, “I’m sorry.  I just wanted to talk to you and figured you’d be here.”  The jock looked to the star, “That looks beautiful.  The way the colors bounce off the metal.”

Theo released his annoyance and asked, “Liam, I know you didn’t come here to admire my star.  What’s on your mind?”

Liam’s anxiety appeared to heighten as he weakly asked, “Are you mad at me?”

Theo shook his head and laughed, “No, Li, I am not mad at you.”

Liam continued weakly, “But you left last night.”

Theo continued his train of thought, “Because I really needed to clear my head.  I might’ve been one of the last people to see Stacy alive, then there was the inbred hick, and it was odd to hear everyone in the house talking about me.  I had a lot to handle yesterday.”

Liam weakly smiled, “You know we just care about you.  We think of the house as our family.”

Theo huffed at the statement, “Maybe.  You guys are a family, I’m just the guy living upstairs.”

Liam took a deep breath to argue but Theo silenced it with a smile and said, “It’s alright, Liam.  I’m not good at the family thing.  Just do me a favor and if you guys want to discuss my safety, include me in the conversation.”

Liam caught the infectious smile, “Okay.  It’s a deal.”  He looked back to the star, “What are you going to do when you finish that?”

Theo looked to the metal star, “Take it back to the junkyard.  Hal, the guy that runs it, decorates the place with my works.  He gives me all the scrap I want to make them, and he gets them.  It works for me.”

Liam gasped, “Oh.  You don’t want to keep it?”

Theo shook his head, “Our house does not need my metal sculptures in the backyard.  Plus making these keeps me from getting rusty.”  Theo stared at the star, “Now I just need to figure out who is putting notes under my door.”

Liam’s eyes widened, “Do you have an idea?”

Theo smugly grinned, “I have at least one.”


	5. Birthday Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo reflects on himself and the newest letters he's received. Liam surprises him for his birthday while Scott conducts a pack meeting about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the college AU so far. I'm thinking of making it roughly a 10 chapter story, with a set villain and plot. The endgame is still up in the air and any input is appreciated. Either way, all comments and kudos are adored.

Birthday Blues

 

 

A couple of weeks had passed since Stacy’s body was found and things at the college returned to some form of normal.  The loner resumed his normal schedule, thankfully free from the intense concern from the household.  He didn’t hate them or even dislike them for their attempts, but he didn’t deal with that level of attention too well.  The letters continued, he’d received three during the two weeks, one from each of the different people.  He wondered how he should proceed, one was clearing trying to either cheer him up or be the veritable meme factory and he’d pretty much figured that out with the latest.  Nothing like receiving a folded paper when someone took the time to print a color picture of a toucan with human arms holding a pipe and wearing a monocle.  He’d chuckled at it when he found it in his room after getting home from a rather spirited debate in his sexuality course.

Then there were the other two notes, clearly written by different hands but their messages were so similar.  The first read:

_Theo_

_I wish I could just speak to you, open my mouth and let my feelings flow but I guess I’m afraid.  I don’t know why I write these notes other than to say, you are beautiful, inside and out and don’t think for a moment, you are ever alone.  One of these days, I’ll have the courage to speak and maybe you won’t laugh.  Maybe you will because this will be that inside joke we laugh to each other about that only we know in the entire world.  Maybe you’ll just smile.  I think I’d love that most of all.  To know that me, being in your life brought a smile and a bit of warmth to your heart._

 

It’s funny because he could clearly tell that whoever is writing this series cares, like really cares about him.  He can tell it from the words and the way the ink is smudged on the paper around the word “courage” and “heart”, like the writer had tears in his eyes as he wrote and rubbed them off the page.  It was a sweet sentiment, so much different from the other letter.

_Theo_

_When our skin touched today, I could feel the electricity of our chemistry and I could see it in your eyes.  The way your lip curled as you fought back the childish giddy smile.  I think you know who I am at this point and maybe you’ll find me.  But I can’t just keep touching you by accident.  I want to run my fingertips over your skin while we tangle our limbs together in passion.  I want to be tied up with you and my only release is the one you force.  Burn with me, Burn me up.  Let me fall apart in your arms so that you can put me back together, like one of your pieces of art._

_-Your Admirer_

He scanned the letter, like the others from the admirer.  He could feel the passion, not just through the words but with the pen stroke.  He knew he was slipping as he stared at the papers and an internal debate waged.  Which would he follow or look for ?  There was someone who, apparently, genuinely loved him.  Love has to be the biggest four-letter word in the English language. 

The problem with that was the other writer, his admirer.  Another four-letter word came to mind, one that could have big implications. 

Passion was what the second author was pursuing and him being the object of that passion.  The loner knew how oblivious he was to his own feelings in the matter.  Sure, he’d been attracted to people in the past but as he learned attracted doesn’t necessarily mean _sexually_. 

He still dealt with the awkward side of how he was only technically not a virgin.  He wouldn’t ever admit it out loud, or he’d fear he’d die of embarrassment.  No, twice, in high school, while he was still riding the heteronormative train, he’d had sex in the loosest sense of the word.  Stories equally embarrassing and maybe that’s why he devoted his energies and drive into all the things he’s learned, his physical training, and his art.  He just couldn’t risk another time, being physically and emotional naked only for his body to fail on him.  No one thinks the feverish man passing out on top of them is sexy.

He didn’t know why he let himself go down this thought train other than the importance of the date.  He’d hidden it from everyone, or at least everyone who didn’t hunt through his actual records.  Today was his birthday, the real date, not the one he’d passed off in the past, the one he allows people to decide to celebrate with him.  As long as it was separate, he could feel and do what he wanted without the social expectations.  His fake birthday was perfect since he chose it and the demons in his mind didn’t bother him on the meaningless day.

He scooped up the letters, after changing into a dark v neck and jeans, and snuck out of the house to get away.

 

His mind didn’t drift away to another place as he sat at the edge of river, the one that everyone in the state would claim touched their property as some meter of pride.  As the dark waters churned, so did his thoughts.

The warm summer breeze rustled the vibrant green leaves that would begin their shift in the next month or so, which did little to calm his heart or nerves.  Without thinking he began to hum “Try Everything” from “Zootopia”.  He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips when he realized he was humming. 

He knew he did this whenever he was anxious or scared.  He wondered if the boy he fought in the regionals noticed that he was humming “Tale as Old as Time” as he knocked him out.  Part of him hoped the boy had but another part was afraid.  That would be the kind of intimacy that he wasn’t prepared to deal with. 

Maybe that was why he couldn’t get his mind off the letters.  Both were requests for intimacy that he didn’t know if he could be prepared to share.  While he sat with his legs hanging over a small wooden bridge, feet crunched the gravel not too far from him.  He closed his eyes and continued to hum before he realized that someone’s shadow was blocking the light from touching him.

He opened and turned his head to see the most adorable smile on the angry, energetic jock, as his eyes sparkled like the heart of the ocean. 

Theo quickly cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind as he stopped humming.  Before he could say something. Liam gently pled, “Don’t stop humming just because I’m here.  You seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

The loner fought back a cough and a laugh as they collided, creating a bloom of red across his cheeks, “Um, I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

The jock’s soft smile shifted slightly into a grin, “I’m glad I did.  That’s the Theo I was hoping to see.”

He pulled his legs from between the tiny wooden post and stood up.  He asked, his voice a bit harsher than he meant but he wasn’t prepared to share his day, “Why were you hoping to see THAT Theo?”

Liam nervously laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair and responded, “I didn’t mean it like that.  I just meant that I wanted to see you.  You snuck away this morning and I figured you might like some company, maybe?”

The loner fought the urge to scare the jock away, maybe this birthday he’d change his routine, “I’m not doing anything special, just enjoying this beautiful Saturday before everything changes.”

Liam walked to the side beside the loner and looked out over the river, “This is a beautiful place.  Do you come here often?”

The loner smirked as he looked out at the river next to the jock, giving him only a slight glance, “Does that line ever work for you?”

The jock mimicked the look, “Is it working now?”

Theo laughed softly once, “Maybe.”

Liam clicked his tongue in his mouth as his smile grew, “Let me know if it does.  I need to know what lines work on you.”

Theo shook his head and shoved the jock’s shoulder, “You’re horrible Liam.”

Liam raised an eyebrow as he recovered and laughed, “Alright.  What’s on your mind?  Normally you’d have said something to try and piss me off or cut me down.”

Theo shrugged, “What has to be on my mind?  Can’t I just be nice?”

Liam shook his head, “Nope.  I don’t accept change that easily.  And this would throw off what I know.”

The loner handed the letters from the Admirer and kept the others, “I am trying to figure out who wrote those.”

Liam pointed to the other stack, “And those?”  as he glanced at the Admirer letters.

Theo smirked and responded confidently, “Really?  You already know who wrote these.”

Liam sounded confused as he stated, his face slightly contorted, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Theo elbow jabbed the jock as he replied, a little humor and doubt in his voice as Liam glanced over the other notes, “Come on.  You know you wrote these, well not the meme but that was Stiles.”

Liam bit his lip nervously as he watched a little of the light fade from the loner as he replied seriously, with a little longing, “Theo, I didn’t leave you a note.”

The loner’s face fell as he released a sigh and handed the remaining stack to the jock.  He turned back to the river and spoke, his good humor crushed, “Oh.  I guess I just thought-  Never mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Liam folded the papers together and smiled gently, “But, that isn’t that far from the reason I’m here.”

Theo responded quickly, a cold bite in his tone, “What?  To mock me for wondering why anyone would leave those notes.”

Liam shook his head as he muttered, “Well, no, I’m here.”  He took a deep breath and looked out to the river, “You’re right.  It doesn’t matter.” 

After quite a few minutes of standing in silence, Liam asked, “Hey, do you want to grab something to eat?  You know before we head home where I have a gift for you.”

Theo’s cold, neutral face looked to Liam and gazed into the kisses of the ocean, “You have a surprise?”

Liam grinned, “After we eat you can get it.”

Theo nodded as a small grin formed on his face and they walked towards the parking lot.

 

Scott stood at the head of the table in the kitchen with Stiles and Lydia standing to his left, Jackson and Isaac to his right with Brett and Mason standing at the far end.  He looked to the faces before he began, “I’m glad everyone could make it on such a short notice.”

Mason immediately asked, “Shouldn’t we wait for Liam?”

Scott cleared his throat and chased away his anxiety, “Liam’s distracting Theo at the moment.”

Jackson smirked as he stated, “So that’s who this meeting is about.”

Scott nodded as he threw the folded newspaper to the center of the table, “There have been more killings.”  Stiles quickly picked up the paper and read over the article.

Isaac looked to Lydia and asked, “Shouldn’t she tell us before the papers?”

Lydia glared at the wolf, “Not necessarily.  Banshee, not psychic.  I don’t always know the exact who and where.”

Scott stopped the imminent arguing, “Stop.”

Stiles’ eyes widened as he chimed in, “It’s the biker bar.  The guy that Theo beat up and his friends.  They are dead.  Exsanguination.”

Mason’s eyes widened as he argued, “We aren’t seriously thinking that Theo, our token in the dark human, did this, are we?”

Scott shook his head, but Stiles balanced his empty hands as if to weigh the possibility as he said, “Well, I don’t think we should rule it out.”

Scott glared at his best friend, “Stiles, it isn’t Theo.  He’s human.”

Stiles argued, “Come on, Scotty, we know he is something.  I know you guys can smell it and Lyds and I can sense something is different about him.”

Jackson laughed at the emissary, “Stiles, we know if he is something, it’s not working its mojo for him.  He carried that shiner for most of a week.”

Brett looked to the paper and said, “Exsanguination sounds like a vampire.  Last time I checked, Theo runs or goes to the gym when the sun rises so I think we can write him off as a vampire.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, “Brett, there is no such thing as vampires.  Good try.”

Lydia smacked the emissaries’ arm, “Really Stiles?”

Scott interrupted them again, “Alright.  That’s enough.  I think we need to actually plan something, some watch system for Theo since these deaths are all linked to him.”

Mason nervously rubbed his arm, “Do you think he knows about the man that would’ve been his professor being killed shortly before the semester started?”

Scott shook his head, “No.  I don’t think Theo realizes that he is in the center of danger.”

Jackson looked to Scott, “Well, why don’t you just assign it to your beta?  Liam likes spending time with Theo anyway.  Maybe they can be the new power couple.”  The playboy shot a grin to Mason, who rolled his eyes.

Scott thought about the interactions between Liam and Theo and shook his head, “No.  I was thinking that Isaac and Brett could keep a watch on him most of the time and then whoever is here with him at home.”

Isaac shrugged while Brett rolled his eyes and asked, “So you want me to protectively stalk the man that already shot me down?”

Scott flashed his reds, “Yes, Brett, but you could stalk less and actually get to know him.”

Brett spat, “He’s an antisocial douchebag.  A pretty one but that’s his only redeeming trait.”

The alpha growled, and Stiles leaned over and whispered, “Scotty, calm down.”

Jackson started laughing loudly as he stated, “I can’t believe this.  Is just about everyone crushing on the T-Man?”  He looked around the table, “Seriously, show of hands, who wants the T-D?”

Everyone glared at the playboy and Jackson glanced down the line of eyes, “Believe it or not, I was being serious when I asked that.”

Stiles tilted his head, “What do you mean Jackson?”

Jackson addressed the emissary, “What if he were a spark that knew how to influence or control emotions?  It could explain some things.”

Stiles’ eyes widened, “Oh my god!  That’s ingenious!”  The emissary looked around the table, “Alright, hands up if Theo gives you the butterflies or chubs!”

Scott sighed and raised his hand.  The alpha looked around the table while Isaac, Mason, and Brett raised their hands.  Lydia slowly raised hers which caused Jackson to chuckle.  The banshee almost immediately responded, “Jackson!  You better raise your hand!  I remember what you said in your sleep a few nights ago.  Raise it or I share!”

Jackson lowered his head as his hand barely crept up.

Stiles shook his head, “Holy fuck.”  He looked to the playboy, “Jacks, I think you are on to something.  I think we should investigate this.  I think it is HIGHLY unlikely that everyone suddenly developed crushes on our roommate.”

Lydia lowered her hand and excused herself, “I’ll be right back” as she walked towards the downstairs restroom.  Once the door closed Brett asked, “Hey, can I use the restroom upstairs?”

Scott nodded quickly as everyone lowered their hands.  The true alpha said, “Alright.  I think we should stick to the plan with Isaac and Brett while the rest of us research what Theo could be and what is killing people around him.  It’s not like we have a Nemeton here, so it shouldn’t be a hotspot for activity.”

The pack nodded and after a short discussion, they went their respective ways.  Only Scott and Stiles stood in the kitchen when the meeting concluded.  The emissary placed his hand on Scott’s shoulder, “How are you holding up?”

Scott half smiled, “I’m alright.”

Stiles shook his head as he laughed, “Dude, you know I can tell when you are lying.  I can tell that having that many members of your pack making eyes at the guy you’ve crushed on since meeting him again in college is tearing you up.”

Scott shrugged, “What if I’m under the spell or whatever too?”

Stiles tilted his head and gave the alpha a knowing look, “Scotty.  You know that answer but let’s say, for the sake of arguing, I agree with you.  The only way you’ll know is to examine the feelings yourself.  Figure it out.  I know you’ve got this.”

Scott pulled his best friend in for a hug, “Thanks Stiles.”

Stiles chuckled, “What are best friend emissaries, and brothers from different mothers supposed to do?”  He laughed loudly as he pulled back from the hug, “Now, I’ve got to print off some memes and more birds with arms.”


	6. Then There were Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Liam go to dinner and Liam surprises the loner with a gift. Theo finds out one of the note writers only to deal with a mysterious illness.

Then There were Three

 

 

Dinner went well with the jock. They went to Lumpy’s the local sub shop, but they sold quite a selection for the discerning college student.  His thoughts of the day vanished between their conversation, mainly about classes and professors.  They watched the other students as they ate and talked about how even though Stacy died, and the school screeched to a halt, things returned to normal in a couple of weeks. 

The loner knew the conversation would eventually steer towards the letters.  The jock made eye contact as he wiped the marinara sauce from his lips and asked, “Why are you carrying those letters with you?”

The loner sighed in irritation as he answered, “I thought that I might be able to find some clue to who is writing them.  All I know is that they are using the stationery paper that I put around the house in case we need to leave messages.  But that only tells me the writers have been inside and I already knew that since the letters keep showing up in my room.”

The jock nodded, “But are they that important?”

The loner released a self-deprecating laugh, “I wouldn’t see how it could be important to you.  Something tells me you have a laundry list of women throwing themselves at you.”

Liam nervously blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, I mean I do, but- “

Theo shrugged as he interrupted, “Exactly.  So maybe I just need to find who is taking their time, pouring themselves onto the pages to get my attention.”  After he wiped his mouth he looked to the jock, “So, ready to head home?”

The jock gave a small smile and nodded as they threw their trash into the bin and walked back to the loner’s truck.  Theo laughed as he unlocked the doors, “I still can’t believe you Ubered to find me.  What if I would’ve left you at the river park?”

Liam climbed into the truck, “Then I would’ve had to fight you.”  He shot a playful grin to the loner.

Both men grinned to each other as Theo replied, “Then you would’ve had to explain to your coach why eyes looked like eggplants.”

As they pulled out of the parking lot near the restaurant, Liam argued, “You think I can’t take care of myself.”

The loner’s grin spread as he teased with only a hint of venom, “I didn’t say THAT.  I just said that you couldn’t take me.  I’m more than just a pretty face.”

Liam quietly floated the breath of his reply, “I’m learning that.”

Theo raised an eyebrow as he glanced to Liam, “What was that?  I didn’t catch it.”

Liam shook his head and smiled, “Nothing Theo.  I know not to challenge our house boxing champ.”

They enjoyed the casual conversation as the loner drove back to their home.  The sun had set during their dinner and Theo pulled the truck into the longer driveway that faced the front fence that ran between the property lines.

Liam hopped out of the vehicle and ran to the older, wooden slat fence and grabbed the entrance clasp, “Ready for your surprise, Mr. Raeken?”

Theo climbed out of the truck, his brow furrowed but the smallest smile began to creep as he replied, “Surprise?  Oh yeah.  You said something about that at the river.”

The jock bounced on his heels as he opened the clasp and stepped into the backyard as he ordered, “Close your eyes!”

Theo rolled his eyes as he made a show of closing his eyes and took unsteady steps towards the gate and the backyard.  He heard the jock run to the side of the house, most likely to turn on the backyard lights.  He slowly took steps as he heard the sounds of summer from the insects and creatures that lived in the forest and creeks near their home.  He felt like he’d stepped almost to the center of yard when Liam shouted, ‘Stop Theo!  I’ll be right over.”

The loner planted his feet and felt the jock run over to him.  He felt Liam’s hands on his shoulders when the jock whispered, “Open your eyes.”

Theo opened his eyes and saw the earth staked lights were moved around in the yard and cast their light on two sculptures.  He saw the coppery hues and faint rainbows of the metals as the lights cast them in a glow against the darkness.  The fireflies lit up around the works of art and further cast them in a magical glow.

The sculpture to his left was one he made his freshman year, the metal rods, cut, bent and welded to form the figure of a wolf howling at the moon.  A string of tiny golden accent lights snaked through the metal gaps and wrapped around the frame, further accenting the image of the wolf.

The one to his right was one he completed last year, with a smaller frame but with intricate cut sheet metal to form the fur and improve the face.  The string of lights accenting this wolf were the deepest, richest red, almost impossible to see that they were light unless it were dark. 

Even in the low light, the loner could tell that both sculptures had been cleaned and polished. 

He gasped in awe and caught the jock’s smile in his peripheral as the blues were locked on his face.  The loner stuttered, “Li-Liam.  You didn’t have to do this.”

The jock inched around and faced him from his left, “I know I didn’t have to, but I thought about all the art you must’ve made and never kept any.  So, I visited Hal and bought these.”

Theo’s eyes widened as his greys met the blues, “What?  Li, you didn’t need to buy these!  I could’ve made more.”

Liam slightly grinned as he shrugged, “Yeah but you shouldn’t feel you need to just give and never keep.  When I saw these, I fell in love.”  The jock bounced over between the sculptures and dramatically flared his arms towards each sculpture, “They are gorgeous.  I can’t believe they were going to waste away in a junkyard.”

Theo raised his brow and smirked before he coldly asked, “How much did they cost you?”

The jock’s smile fell a little before he replied, “That’s not important.  They are yours!”

Theo repeated with a hint of annoyance, “How much?”

Liam rubbed the back of his head as he spoke under his breath, “Around a thousand.”

Theo’s eyes blinked as he stepped towards the jock, “Excuse me?  How much?”

Liam almost yelled, “I said around a thousand!”

Theo shook his head and turned around bringing his hand to his forehead, “No.  Li, take them back.  You can’t just spend money like this on me.  That’s just frivolous.”

Liam ran around and faced Theo, “No!  I won’t return them.  You put your heart and soul into these.  How long did it take you to finish each one?”

This time Theo felt the eyes of interrogation as he answered under his breath, “The howling wolf took 4 months and the red wolf took 6 months.”

Liam nodded emphatically as he placed his hand on the loner’s shoulder, “Exactly!  You deserve to keep your hard work.  What’s a little money?”

Theo argued, “You are on a scholarship, Li.  It’s not like your family has that kind of money to send you.  I feel incredibly bad about this.”

Liam’s hand ran down the loner’s arm until it clasped his hand, “Don’t.  I wanted to do this for you.”

Theo smugly grinned, “Then you won’t mind when I want to buy them off you instead of receiving them as a gift.”

Liam shook his head, “I can’t take your money to buy back your creations.  That’s just wrong.”

Theo tilted his head and stated, “Negotiate or take them back.”

A mischievous grin grew across the jock’s face, “Alright.  So, what do you offer?”

Theo nodded, “Alright, how about a thousand?  That’ll cover them.”

Liam thought for a moment before he responded, “Nope.  Not interested.”

Theo smirked as his anger spiked a little, “Alright two thousand.”

Liam’s eyes widened as he breathed the reply, “Two thousand?”

Theo nodded, and Liam shook his head, “I don’t want more money.”

The loner pursed his lips, “Alright, what do you want, Dunbar?”

The grin reappeared as he closed the distance between the two, “A kiss.”

Theo’s eyes widened as he struggled to catch his breath, “A kiss?  Wha?”

Liam looked away and almost immediately stammered over his words, “Yes.  A kiss.  That is, unless I’ve totally read this situation wrong.”

The two stood in silence and Liam slowly faced the loner again.  When their eyes met, Theo reached over and pulled the jock in for a kiss.

Fireworks went off in the loner’s head, but he felt a familiar foe.  As his lips pushed and his tongue swiped he felt the fever, born from his chest grow, and it hit him with a greater intensity than his sexual blunders of the past.  As Liam’s hand snaked around, Theo pushed back from the kiss.

His greys saw those blues, those beautiful blues, those endless, unbreaking hues of the ocean filled with uncertainty and a hint of pain as he muttered, “I’ve got to get to my room.”

Liam stood in shock as the loner darted into the house.  He whispered to himself, “What did I do wrong?”

 

Theo ran towards the front door, his feet moving with uncertain speed and coordination as he pushed through the hardwood door.  He could feel the heat pulse through his body as his vision blurred and he stumbled over the threshold.  He fought to catch his breath as his chest tightened and he swallowed the dry nothing that filled his cotton mouth.  After grabbing a hold of the banister, he pulled himself up the stairs with loud clunking that he would never normally do.

He could’ve sworn he heard someone call out, but he couldn’t make out the sounds as a piercing ringing filled his mind.  After a desperate struggle against the steep steps, he managed to make it to his door and found it was already open as he pushed against it and began to fall as it slammed open.

Scott dropped the folded letter he held as he ran and slid as he caught the loner before he could faceplant onto the hardwood floor. 

Theo heard some muffled cries before he lost consciousness.

 

Scott held the feverish man and pulled him to his feet, which gently touched the floor, but the true alpha held up his weight.  He carried him over to his bed as he kept repeating the loner’s name.  He laid Theo on his back and fixed his pillow behind his head.  The alpha grabbed the chair at his desk and pulled it over next to the bed.  He clutched the loner’s hand as he tried to pull the pain from the man but found that Theo wasn’t in any pain.

The alpha heard his beta charging into the house and up the stairs.  When he reached the door, Scott glared at him, “What happened Liam?”

Liam stepped in and looked at Theo and both wolves caught the scent of illness and the scent that was overly powerful and pungent of who Theo was.  The beta nervously responded, “He was fine at dinner and then when we got back, in the backyard, he, ran off just as I caught that scent.”

Scott pushed, he knew his anger was more to Theo, the man he was going to finally confess to was laying in his bed with some illness, “So that was it?  You were just standing in the backyard together?”

Liam looked away, the momentary flash of guilt on his face, “We kissed, just before it started.”

Scott sighed and turned his gaze back to the loner as he gently rolled in his sleep, releasing a few quiet, pained moans.

Liam weakly asked, “Is he going to be alright?”

Scott shook his head softly, “I don’t know, Li.  I’m going to stay with him and if he gets worse, I’ll take him to the hospital.”  The alpha muttered quietly, “Why did this have to happen today?”

His beta furrowed his brow as he asked, “What’s special about today?”

The alpha took a deep breath before he softly replied, “Today is his birthday, his real birthday.  And next week will be the anniversary of the death of his family.”

Liam’s eyes widened and breathed the words, “Fuck.  I didn’t know.”

Scott leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Theo’s and felt the cold sweat of his fever, “I couldn’t ever forget.”

Liam took a step towards his alpha, “I should st- “

Scott looked to his beta and flashed his eyes red, “I’m staying with him.”

Liam nodded slowly and sighed as his shoulders slumped and he walked out of the room.

 

Theo slowly woke up with a pounding headache, the sun pouring through the open curtains in his room.  He slowly became aware of the heat and pressure against his left side and holding his left hand.  He glanced over and saw Scott, holding his hand, asleep with his body doubled over, his head resting against the loner’s chest.  He weakly croaked, his voice weak and broken, “Scott.  What happened?”

The musician slowly shifted his head and sat up.  His face was filled with worry and his eyes carried bags from the lack of sleep, “Theo.  You’re awake.  How do you feel?”

The loner flinched against the throbbing pain, “I’m alright.  Just a headache.  What happened?”

Scott nervously looked to the open door and whispered, “After you got home, you ran up the stairs and collapsed.  I caught you before you hit the floor and brought you to your bed.”

A few moments passed as the loner tried to put the pieces together before he asked, “You stayed with me all last night?”

Scott gave him a comforting half smile, “Yeah.  I was hoping to tell you before this happened.”

The loner released a moan against the pain and asked, “Tell me what?”

Scott nervously looked around before he answered, “Happy Birthday.  You and Liam had a good time last night, right?”

Theo feebly nodded his head and mumbled, “Yeah.”  His mind flashed to the moment he fell against the door.  His eyes were locked with the figure that dropped the folded note.  With a sudden, crystal clarity, he saw that the figure was Scott.

He looked up to the musician’s face and his greys locked on to the man’s browns, “You’re the one writing a set of the letters.”

Scott’s eyes widened, and he bit his lower lip before he nodded and whispered, “Yeah.”

Theo chuckled quietly, “I thought it was Liam.”

Scott shook his head and Theo requested, “Can I have the note?”

Scott replied, “There are two.”

Theo took a deep breath and asked, “Do you mind getting them both?”

The musician released his hand and walked over to the desk and retrieved both notes.  He walked them back and handed them to the loner.  Scott fought back the misting in his eyes as he said, “I’m not going to try to convince you but, Theo, I want to be with you.”

The loner fought against the nausea to genuinely smile, “I’ve got a lot to consider.  I hope you understand.”

Scott nodded and walked towards the door.  He made it to the entrance when Theo faintly spoke, “Thank you for staying with me.”

The musician sighed as he closed the door.

 The loner glanced to the note that wasn’t Scott’s and read it:

_Theo_

_Being without your touch chills me to the bone.  I want to hold you, writhe with you, moan with you.  I think you know who am by now.  I want to feel your gaze on my raw body, raking it with the lust that I know I feel.  Ravage me while I ravage you.  Leave the purity for the pious and let’s burn together._

_-Your Admirer_

He took a deep breath as he set the letter aside and read Scott’s:

_Theo_

_I know you wouldn’t want to talk about today, but you aren’t alone.  I’m with you, just as I will be next week, and if you want, every minute you want me there.  I wish I could’ve been more for you then, but I hope that you’ll still want to be with me now.  When you are ready and if you want, I am here for you as a friend, but I hope in my heart, something more._

_-Scott_

 

The loner took a deep breath as his mind filled with doubt, about himself and about the world around him.  He felt the urge to flee but his body still wouldn’t move.  So, he laid in bed, mind fogged from illness and thoughts bombarding him, his stomach tight from nausea and uncertainty, and his heart heavy because regardless of what he decided, he would hurt someone.  For that moment, the loner wished that he’d been able to disappear for another semester, but life wasn’t so kind.


	7. Memories and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo torments himself with the decision between Scott and Liam. He runs to Nolan to get another perspective only to receive yet another surprise.

Memories and Decisions

 

 

Thoughts swelled and pushed past the waves of nausea, that seemed to fade to nothing.  He wanted to be weak, wanted to not have to decide.  Part of him contemplated turning both down.  It would work and it would solve his problem but maybe create another one in the process.  The last thing the loner wished to do was become a rift between Liam and Scott.  Scott treated Liam like his cherished younger brother and Liam looked up to Scott.  Their friendship was one that shouldn’t be tested by a person such as himself.

He rationalized that maybe he could set things right in the household and it’s not like he wasn’t being pursued by another man.  It sounded greedy and petty but that was a part of him no different than his obsession with biology and understanding the mind.  It’s also easy to rationalize not wanting to change their group dynamic.  Both Scott and Liam had tried, and continued to try, to pull him into their circle of friends.  He still didn’t understand it.  Scott’s connection to him was childhood that ended with his personal tragedy.  He could only guess that Liam’s had to do with not wanting him to be lonely.  He wasn’t prepared for their feelings.

He pulled himself out of bed and walked over to his desk.  After setting the letters on the desk, he felt his weakness claw at him.  He shouldn’t be the one that these two showered with attention.  His heart refused to let him just drop the two.  Competing memories welled in his mind.

 

_Sheriff Stilinski stood in the center of the McCall house living room.  The small boy sat on the center of the couch, surrounded by Melissa, to the Sheriff’s left, and Rafael, to the Sheriff’s right.  Scott sat on the couch, on the right side, his small hand on the loner’s shoulder.  The Sheriff nervously cleared his throat, his face wrinkled with stress and sorrow which aged him easily a couple of decades in that moment.  Melissa looked to the young boy with her eyes welled with tears, her lips nervously twitching from what she knew.  Rafael looked stone faced at the boy but clearly meant it as a sign of strength.  The Sheriff asked, “Did you hear what I just said, Theo?”_

_The boy looked to his best friend in confusion, like whatever the Sheriff said refused to register and his best friend just tightened his shoulder with a weak smile.  Theo looked back to the sheriff and muttered a confused, “What?”_

_The Sheriff’s voice cracked as he said, “I’m sorry, Theo.  There’s been a fire.  Your home.  Your family.  I hate that I have to tell you this but I’m sorry.”_

_Theo tilted his head curiously and asked, “Why are you sorry?  You didn’t do anything bad, right?”_

_The Sheriff shook his head and replied, “No.  I'm sorry. Your family didn't make it.”_

_The tiny boy scrunched his eyebrows as he looked around for something that would help him process the information.  He muttered, “Mom.  Dad.  Tara.  Even Graham?”_

_Melissa leaned towards the loner and placed her arms around him as she said, “I’m sorry, sweetie.”_

_He warm gesture was meant to console but the loner pulled away and slipped off the couch, “It’s not true!  It can’t be!”_

_Scott called out to him as the loner ran to the McCall’s backyard.  With tears in his eyes, he climbed the wooden rungs of the tree house.  When he reached the covered platform he pulled himself to the corner near the cut out “window”.  Theo looked in the direction of his house and saw the billowing darkness, the smoke still rising from the ashes.  The air was thick with the remains of lost hopes and dreams, of family dinners and celebrations that would never happen, of love that he wouldn’t feel anymore._

_He pulled his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around himself and lowered his head as he sobbed._

_Alone._

_The word pounded in his head._

_Alone._

_He tried to choke back the impact as if ceasing his tears would turn back the clock and the event would be undone._

_Alone._

_The flowing tears dripping to the dried and warped boards of the floor.  He hiccupped loudly and lost himself to the uncertainty that descended on his life._

_He didn’t hear the sounds of small feet and hands on the rungs.  He didn’t notice the other boy until Scott’s hand was on his shoulder.  He slowly looked to those brown eyes.  Those caring eyes.  Those strong eyes that gave him confidence when he waivered._

_He weakly croaked, “Scott.”_

_Scott squeezed his shoulder before he sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder.  The musician said, “I wish there was something I could do.  I wish I could make it all go away.”_

_Theo nodded, “I know.  I do too.  But now, there is just me.”_

_Scott looked at Theo, with conviction, “Theo, you will never be alone.  I’m here for you.  I will always be here for you.”_

_The loner dropped his legs and threw his arms around his friend.  He cried into the welcome shoulder of a friend, of a boy that would eventually become the man that loved and cared for him._

The loner pushed the memory away.  He knew that Scott hadn’t been there for him, not in that way.  His grandmother had made sure of that.  He wondered what was in the letters and cards he’d caught her burning.  He knew they’d been from Scott but he never got a chance to see them.  He knew it was wrong to harbor any resentment to the musician but emotions were petty like that.

Then there was Liam.

_The loner pulled himself from his bed.  His roommates had left for the summer, something about some kind of emergency back home, involving some Vet clinic or something.  He trudged out of his room, his bare feet patting against the floor, ending the silence in the house, just like the repeated knocks on the door._

_By the time he reached the front door, he’d counted at least 20 separate knocks.  He’d decided that if there was an ambitious clergyman at the door, he’d find the perfect hiding spot._

_He threw open the door giving his most serious scowl and was greeted with the beaming smile of the energetic blue-eyed boy.  He carried a bag in each hand and quickly said, “Hey, you must be Theo, I’m Liam.”_

_The loner stepped away from the door and Liam walked in as he said, “Scott, Stiles, and Jackson left yesterday to head home.  It’s just me for the summer.”_

_Liam lobbed the bags next to the couch and rolled over the back of it as Theo closed the door.  He looked back to see that smile shift mischievously, “So, it’s just us two for the rest of the summer.  I’m sure I can think of some things for us to do.”_

_Theo groaned as he shuffled back to the stairs and the pup asked, “Where are you going?”_

_The loner remarked, “Back to bed.”_

_Liam complained, “Dude, it’s already 11.  Are you going to sleep all day?”_

_Theo shrugged, “Seems productive enough.”_

_Liam shouted playfully, “Get dressed.  I don’t know anyone or anything here.  I need you to show me the sights.”_

_The loner groaned, “Fine!”_

_The memory blurred with one two weeks later._

_Theo stared at the large screen tv in the living room, their game of CoD paused.  Quite a bit of time had passed since the jock had taken a call from his girlfriend.  He huffed and rolled his eyes.  The loner stood up and walked down the tiny hallway behind under the stairs to Liam’s room.  He listened for a moment before he realized he didn’t hear talking.  He knocked softly, “Li, is everything alright?”_

_The thin, wooden door painted white flew open.  The normally smiling or angry ball of energy approached him with tears in his eyes and streaks down his cheeks.  Liam muttered, “She dumped me.  Hayden”  He hiccupped between the words as he continued, “Hayden dumped me.”_

_The loner pulled the jock into a hug and asked, “What happened?”_

_The jock pushed his wet face into the pocket of the loner’s shoulder and whimpered, “She said we just aren’t connecting like we used to.  She couldn’t do the long distance thing.”_

_The loner rubbed a circle on the jock’s upper back, “I’m sorry, Li.  What do you need?”_

_Liam weakly admitted, “Scott.”_

_Theo sighed and joked, “Well, he’s about two thousand miles west so there isn’t much I could do to help that.  I’m here.”_

_The jock whispered the words, “I don’t know what to do.  I should go back home, back to her.”_

_Theo placed his hands on the jock’s shoulders and stepped back to look him in the eyes, “Is that what you want Li?  Would that make you happy?”_

_Those tormented blues gazed into his eyes and the man admitted softly, “No.  It’s just what I think would make me happy.”_

_The loner mused, “I can get you tickets home, and not bus tickets like you had to come here.  You could fly tomorrow.”_

_Liam shook his head and looked so fragile and innocent, “No, Theo.  That’d be expensive and I couldn’t pay you back.”_

_The loner rolled his eyes, “I didn’t ask if you could pay me back.  I asked if it would help.”_

_Liam shook his head again, “No.  I just need to get through this.”_

_Theo asked, “I can call Scott.  I can get him back here, I’m sure.  What about that?”_

_The jock slowly shook his head as his eyes feel to the floor, “Theo, can you help me through this?  I know we don’t know each other well but I think I just need a friend.”_

_The loner smirked, “I am your friend, Li.”  He lifted the boy’s face and joked, “Plus, I know you.  You always camp near stairs in Call of Duty.  It’s annoying!”_

_Liam’s eyebrows scrunched as he argued, “You shoot me with a rocket launcher when I do.”_

_Theo replied with just a hint of heat, “Why do you think I have the SNoTL class?”_

_Liam shook his head, “What the hell does that stand for?”_

_Theo smugly smirked as he replied, “Say No To Liam.  It’s for all your annoying camping!”_

_Liam elbowed the loner, “Fuck you!”_

_Theo returned the playful hit, “Fuck you too, Dunbar!”_

The loner shook away the memories.  Neither pointed him in a particular direction but both illuminated a bit of their respective friendships.  Sure, he could consider Stiles and Jackson as friends but more of association than anything.  He wouldn’t approach either with a personal concern, they just weren’t close like that.

That’s when Nolan came to mind.  He would be a good outside third party to bounce his troubles off.  His thoughts were shattered by an argument downstairs.  Liam and Scott were yelling at one another.  Theo knew what this meant.  He knew he had to get away, clear his head.  He threw on a pair of skinny jeans and t shirt before he grabbed his keys and ran downstairs.  Both men called to him as he ran out the front door. 

He was in his truck, on the road before he could figure out where to go.  He knew that either man would find him at his usual places to clear his head.  That’s when Nolan popped into his head.  He slowly drove down the street back home and pulled into Nolan’s driveway and hid his truck towards the end of the driveway. 

He walked to the front door and knocked.  Nolan smiled as he answered the door, “Theo, what a surprise!”

The loner half smiled, “Can I talk to you for a bit?”

Nolan nodded and opened the door, escorting the loner into the home.

 

The living room appeared empty but clean with two large sofas shaped like a L with a coffee table in the middle of the open space.  A tall, dark-haired man slept on the longer sofa and Nolan guided Theo to sit on the other sofa.  The loner asked, “Are we going to wake him up?”

Nolan grinned as he shook his head, “No.  Gabe will LITERALLY sleep through anything.  Let me get us a beer.”

Theo nodded and after a minute, Nolan returned with two glasses of beer.  He handed one to Theo and sipped from the other as he took a seat.  The loner caught a bitter, metallic aftertaste from the beer and asked, “New Brand?”

Nolan shook his head, “No, I think it’s just old beer.  Do you want me to get you something else?”

Theo shook his head and downed half of the glass before he stated, “I needed to get out of the house.  I’ve got a problem.”

Nolan took a sip and looked into Theo’s eyes, “Roommate trouble again?”

The loner bitterly chuckled, “You could say that.  Scott and Liam both confessed feelings for me.  What do I do?”

Nolan’s eyes widened, “Really?  They were the ones writing the notes?”

Theo shook his head after taking another sip, “Scott wrote some.  Liam just surprised me.  Wait, how do you know about the notes?”

Nolan shrugged, “Brett mentioned something about someone sending you notes.  That has to be flattering though, two guys pursuing you.”

Theo corrected him, “Three.  I still don’t know who is writing me the last set.”

Nolan nodded and asked, “So what are you going to do?”

Theo set the near empty glass on the coffee table, scattering a few pieces of paper, as he stood up, “I don’t know.  I don’t want them to fight.  Not because of me.  I’m thinking I might turn them both down.”

Nolan nodded a few times and tilted his head as he asked, “Well, do you like one more than another?  Their fighting has nothing to do with you.  You can’t torture yourself with what other people want.”

Theo paced towards the door and stared out the front window, towards his home, “I don’t know.  It’s like asking apples and oranges.  I like both of them but I don’t do feelings well.”

Nolan chuckled to himself, “Sure you do.  Now, understanding them is a different story.”

Theo turned around quickly and caught the young man’s grin, “You know what I mean.”

The grin grew as Nolan asked, “What about the third suitor?  Man, what a problem to have!”

The loner laughed hollowly, “It sounds great until it happens.  I don’t know who he is.  I just know that Stacy saw him.”

Nolan commented, “Yeah, she did.”

Theo shook his head as he walked back to the sofa, “What?”

The nervous man rubbed the back of his head, “I mean that’s what I heard.”

The loner narrowed his eyes briefly before he remembered, “They both treat me so different but similar.  The third, it sounds like he wants me for my body, for passion, to fuck.”

Nolan snickered as he looked away, “That could be fun.  A little mindless passion.  A better way to use your hands and to have someone hold you.  Maybe leave a mark that you could enjoy showing, not like Jimbo.”

Theo reached for his beer, his eyes still on Nolan, “I didn’t mention his name.”

Nolan nervously began, “Brett must’ve-“

The loner looked to the glass as he coldly remarked, “I didn’t tell him either.”

When he lifted his beer, the stationary caught his eye.  It was one of the pads he made for the house.  Theo raised his head and met the nervous man’s smile and commented, “You’re the admirer.”

Nolan bit his lip as he nodded, “You caught me Theo.  I thought you knew the night you first came over.”

The loner shook his head, “No.”

Theo’s stomach churned and he felt a bit light headed, “I’m flattered, Nolan, really.  I just can’t deal with the majority of my friends wanting to be with me.”

Nolan sighed as he looked away, “I was hoping that I read things right.  I guess I didn’t.”

Theo finished the beer and put the glass back on the stationary as he sat down next to the boy, “I think you’re awesome but I just don’t see you that way.”

Nolan stood up and took two steps towards the kitchen and venomously remarked, “You don’t see much, do you Theo?”

His mind swam as he weakly asked, “What?”

Nolan threw his beer against the wall and turned to face the loner as he yelled, “I said, YOU DON’T SEE MUCH, DO YOU THEO?”

Theo struggled to pull himself to his feet as he argued, “I’m sorry Nolan.  I didn’t mean to upset you.  I’m going to head home.”

Nolan took a step towards Theo, as  a dark grin blossomed, “Stacy couldn’t leave and Neither could Jimbo and his buddies.  What makes you think you’ll get away?”

Theo mumbled as he took a couple of steps, “What?  You drugged me?”

Nolan tilted his head as his eyes flashed a deep purple and the illusions fell.  The couches were composed of bones wrapped loosely with skin.  Gabe wasn’t sleeping but his rotting body laid there with his decapitated head staring off into oblivion.  The table became a loose pile of bodies and the glass the loner drank from became a skull.  The scents assaulted the loner, who gasped, and asked, “Why?”

Nolan’s flashed a spiked tooth grin, “Because of you!  Because of what you are!  They were just appetizers but you, you are the main dish!”

Theo stumbled backwards and slipped in a gel pool of congealed blood, “How?”

Nolan stepped towards him, “It won’t matter to know.  Just know that I plan on taking my time with you.  I made the mistake with your family ALL those years ago.  But you.  I’m going to savor you!”

Theo felt the arms he didn’t want to hold him wrap around him as darkness consumed his vision and his last thoughts before he passed out, “Scott, Liam.  Help!”


	8. He is a Unicorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Liam argue at the pack meeting; Nolan tortures Theo and explains things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we are down to the wire. I have three separate endings planned for this story and any one of them is a viable option. If you want to see, Thiam, Sceo, or Tholan, now would be the time to mention it in the comments. As always, feedback is appreciated and adored as are kudos. Thanks for reading and I hope to continue to entertain.

He is a Unicorn

 

 

Liam nervously paced around the living room while the rest of the pack stood in the kitchen.  Scott stood at the head of the table with Stiles, Mason, and Isaac to his left while Jackson and Lydia stood to his right.  Brett stood at the opposite end of the table.  The true alpha lowered his head and asked, “Liam, aren’t you going to join us at the table?”

The angry beta sharply spat, “We shouldn’t be talking.  We should be looking for him.  He doesn’t disappear like this!”

Scott flashed his eyes red, “Liam, stand at the table.”

The beta growled as his eyes glowed, “I can hear just fine over here, Scott!”

Scott growled, and Stiles interrupted both, “Scott, Liam, Stop.”  The emissary sighed as he began, “We know that Theo left day before yesterday.  But that isn’t the only reason why we are having a meeting.”

Liam argued, “Theo not being here is the reason I’m here.”

Brett turned back to the beta, “Liam, calm down.  We will find Theo, but we also have other issues, plus he’s probably just with a friend.”

Scott growled again, and the meeting fell silent.  He looked to Stiles and asked, “Have we figured out what he is yet?”

Isaac nervously laughed, “Well, we’ve narrowed the list down to around twenty or so.”

Stiles continued, “If we rule out spark then that leaves a variety of fae, puca, puck, siren, merman, satyr, unicorn.”

Jackson laughed loudly as he interrupted, “You think Theo is a unicorn?  Seriously, a unicorn?”

Stiles muttered quickly, “I mean, maybe, he could be.  It’s not like we have a lot to go off besides the attraction thing and unicorns can attract people.”

Jackson snickered as he looked around the table, “And quite a few of you want to get the horn.”

Lydia smacked the playboy’s arm, “Not helping Jackson.”

Mason interrupted, “I don’t think he’s anything but a normal human.”

Brett grinned as he looked to Mason, “Really striving to not be the only regular person.”

Mason rolled his eyes, “What if Theo were under something’s spell or influence?”

Isaac looked to the human, “You mean like the vampire?”

Stiles shook his head and angrily, “There is no such thing as a vampire.  Proven fact.  Now it could be an Arachne or Theo could be an Arachne.  That could fit too.”

Scott lowly rumbled towards his emissary, “Theo is not the one killing people.”

Liam laughed loudly, “Finally something we can agree on.  Theo couldn’t be the murderer.”

Jackson rolled his eyes and sarcastically quipped, “Because you two are the most objective ones at the table.”

Scott yelled, “STOP!  Everyone.  We don’t know what he could be or what is killing people.  We are back to trying to figure out where he is.”

Lydia looked to Scott, “He’s not dead and I haven’t heard the whispers.  So that’s good news.”

Isaac looked around the table, “Well, if we follow the idea that he’s with a friend, who are his friends?”

Mason asked, “Besides everyone here, he doesn’t really have friends.  Except Nolan, right?”  The human looked to Brett.

The tall wolf responded, “Yeah, but I doubt Nolan’s seen him.  I spoke with Nolan earlier and he didn’t say anything.  I’ll see him after our meeting.”

Jackson added, “Doesn’t he know that guy that heads the AV club.”

Mason glared at the playboy, “No, Theo doesn’t know Gary, I do.”

Jackson playfully shrugged, “Sorry, got you humans mixed up.”

Lydia glared at her boyfriend.

Scott sighed and lowered his head, “So we don’t know anything.”

Liam stormed into the kitchen, “This pack doesn’t know Theo!”  The beta glared at Stiles, “He can’t be fae.  Don’t they have issues with iron?”

Stiles nodded, “Well, yeah.”

Liam shook his head, “He makes sculptures out metal all the time.  He isn’t picky either, trust me, Hal pushes all the variety of scraps to him.  He also isn’t a siren or merman.  I can’t exactly confirm it, but I am almost certain he doesn’t know how to swim.”

Scott looked to his first beta, “You’re right.  He didn’t learn as a kid.  He was afraid of the water.”

The emissary sighed, “I guess that rules out the Fossegrim too.”

Brett glanced around the table, “Has anyone looked for him?”

Scott nodded, “I tried to catch his scent, but it led me in circles.  It’s strongest here.”

Liam continued, “And I checked all of his places he goes to get away.  Hal hasn’t seen him, he wasn’t by the river.  And he didn’t carry a change of clothes or his textbooks.”

Jackson snorted, “Who runs away with textbooks?”

Stiles raised an eyebrow to Jackson, “Really Jax?  This is THEO.  You know, mister must have the highest GPA in the house.  Mister takes incredibly complicated courses to fill out his course load for electives.”

Liam continued, “And he didn’t take any of his tools or welding equipment.  He wouldn’t leave without those things.  They cost as much as his truck.”

Isaac asked, “Wait, he owns that equipment?”

Scott nodded, “Yeah.  He’s the one that repairs the house.  He rewired the rooms from his extra supplies.  His storage shed is impressive.”

Brett shrugged, “So we really are back to square one.”

Liam growled loudly, “I’m done talking, I’m going to find him!”  The beta charged out the front door as Scott yelled for him, “Liam! Stop!”

The pack looked to each other for a moment before Stiles looked to Scott, “You should look for Theo.  We can focus on finding the thing that’s killing people.”

Brett spoke up, “I’ll go talk to Liam.  Maybe I can get through to him.”

Lydia looked to the older wolf, “I didn’t think you two were friends.”

Brett grinned, “We aren’t really.  We piss each other off but whoever wants to get through to him needs to bring a big hammer.”

The taller wolf followed the beta as Scott brought the meeting to its conclusion.

 

The loner groaned as he regained consciousness, arms and legs tightly tapped and strapped to an armed metal chair.  His head felt heavy as he looked around the stained, empty room.  The walls were a faded color brown with obvious congealed blood stains towards the corners.  The floor had drag marks from both shoes and fingers.  The far wall had a window that looked filthy from grime and blood covered hands.  He knew the door was behind him as he heard the drip from the sink in the kitchen.

His fear and anxiety spiked as he began to hum “How Far I’ll Go”.  He glanced down when he felt a breeze blow across his chest to see he was only wearing his pink and black plaid boxers.  He hummed louder as he racked his brain with trying to find a way to escape.  He pulled his arms against the restraints that wrapped around his wrists and upper forearms and the restraints that held his legs at his ankles.  The tape and rope didn’t budge.

Nolan stepped into the room from behind the loner and cheered, “Have I told you that I love how you hum when you are scared.  Seeing as how I could sing to the music you are making right now, I’d say you were scared out of your mind.”  The vicious, jagged teethed monster laughed, “I love it that you are humming that song.  It reminds me!”  The monster cleared his throat and sang, “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’ll die soon!”  He pointed his first fingers at the loner.

Theo quieted his humming as he asked, “Why are you doing this?”

Nolan rolled his eyes as he walked towards the loner, holding his right hand out in front.  He giggled as his pointer finger nail shifted into a long, sharp talon, “We went over this, Theo?  Are you going to be a broken record the ENTIRE time?  If so I might just have to kill you sooner.”

As Theo began to ask why again, Nolan slashed the razor tip down the side of his face, starting from the temple and running it down before pulling away at the jaw bone.  The loner screamed in pain as the monster giggled.  “See, that stops all the annoying questions.” 

Nolan rubbed his fingers in the blood that began to seep, and Theo felt his skin heat up along the wound.  When the monster pulled his fingers away, the blood seemed different, thick, sticky, almost caramel like.  Nolan licked his fingers and shuddered as he announced, “Oh my god, this is so good.  So pure, so innocent, so virginal!”

Theo smirked against the pain and commented, “I’m not virginal.”

Nolan rolled his eyes as he licked his fingertips clean, “Yeah, Okay!  Passing out on top of girls doesn’t count as losing your virginity!”  The monster laughed loudly as he pressed his fingers against the loner’s head and rubbed more blood from the wound. 

Theo flinched against the pain and asked, “How did you know that?”

Nolan cackled as he ate more of the mysterious substance that was the loner’s blood, “That’s simple.  Whenever I eat someone, I pick up their memories.  Most of the time I just dump them but sometimes I find some real gems.  Christa was a nice girl.  She thought you had some fucked-up case of ED but nice girl.  Tasted like garlic.”

The loner’s eyes widened, “What?!?!  You ate her?”

Nolan paced the room as he licked his fingertips, “Of course.  I’ve eaten so many people that touched your life.  After the fire, I HAD to find you.  You are like the unicorn of delicacies.  A cambion, with a soul.  Can you say rare as fuck?  I didn’t realize that they could exist until after I snapped your dad’s neck and drank your sister down.  I swear, I was high for days off her.”

Theo spat, “Fuck you, you twisted vampire.  When I get out of this, I am going to rip your face off and feed it to you!”

Nolan gasped, a flash of anger crossed his face before the twisted, jovial smile returned, “I’m not a fucking vampire!  I go out in the day, like all the time.  Yeah, I drink blood but not really.  It’s just the easiest way to convert your life force to sustenance.”

Theo smugly smirked, “Sounds like a vampire to me!”

Nolan rolled his eyes, “Cute, real cute, Theo.  Trying to piss me off so I kill you faster.  Well, that’s not going to happen.”

The monster stepped back and ran a finger along the wound, which seemed to close as he pulled away the last of the blood, “Plus I have information that you’ll want to know.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “Like I believe anything you say.”

Nolan shrugged and ran his tongue along his fingers and spoke with them at his lips, “I’ve got to thank Scott, he’s how I finally got you.”

The loner’s eyes widened, “What?”

Nolan eagerly clapped as he watched Theo’s expression fall, “Yah!  Story time!”  He slashed a long line across the loner’s chest and the blood began to bead.  The loner winced from the pain and he sucked in air in reaction.

Nolan began, “You see, after your parents died, or I guess I can just say I killed them, I figured out I needed to hunt you down.  First, your annoying ass family had to keep moving you around.  Do you know how often I had to travel and how many fast meals I had to eat?  You should’ve thought about MY convenience!”

Theo venomously spat, “Sorry my difficult childhood was so inconvenient for the monster trying to eat me!”

Nolan continued, “Then your fucking grandmother.  Full fledged demon, in every meaning of the word.  She hid you well but every once in a while, I would pick up a ping.  I’d follow a lead just to get nowhere.  Then it dawned on me, Scott!  You’re bestest little buddy.  I went back to Beacon Hills and waited.  I laid low, eating only what I needed from visitors and poor unfortunate things that go bump in the night.  Scotty managed to get your address and began to send you letters and cards.  But he never got a response.  I expected you to slip up and give it away but nothing.”

Theo nodded proudly, “She burned them.  She knew you were following me.”

Nolan swiped some blood as it lined the loner’s pecs and ingested it, “Yeah.  She made you so close to invisible.  Sure, someone would slip up and I would be there.  You do not know how many of your extracurricular instructors I murderer and ate.  Each time with just a little more knowledge.  Then your teenage years and boxing!”  The monster widened his maniacal, piercing, ragged grin, “You fucked up!”

Theo lowered his head, “I made it into the papers.”

Nolan bounced on his heels nodding his head frantically, “Yes, you did!  I found you and had a time and place.  I would kill and eat you after the championship finals!”

Theo met the monster’s purple gaze, “But I dropped out.”

Nolan grimaced, “Exactly.  I bet your grandmother used her mind control on you to prompt that when she saw you were a regional champion.”

Theo shrugged his shoulders as the monster swiped another length of the blood and turned it to the twisted caramel, “So I still don’t get how this is Scott’s fault.”

Nolan chuckled darkly, “He had to go and get bitten and become a wolf, and then deal with a whole lot of shit that frankly, I wanted nothing to do with.  I might be a soul eater, but I like to think of myself as a pacifist.”

Theo struggled against the restraints as he yelled, “You are eating me!  Slicing into my skin and eating me!  That isn’t pacifism!”

Nolan pursed his lips in annoyance as leaned forward and licked the loner’s left pec clean before he continued, “Yeah well your friends are monsters too!  Violent, angry werewolves!”

Theo shook his head as the words sank in, “What?”

Nolan nodded, “Oh yeah.  They also think you’re the one killing people, or at least a few think that.  Scott and Liam won’t budge.  You must’ve really whammied them.”  He shook his head as he moved to the right pec and licked it, paying attention to the blood that dripped from the nipple. 

The loner fought against the sensation as he released a low moan.  Nolan jumped back, eyes wide with excitement, “Oh my.  You are getting off on that!  You poor little demon boy.  Maybe if you are good, I’ll make you a demon man before I make you dinner.”

He shook his head repeatedly before he continued, “So your dear friend, the one that never gave up on you, decided to try to find you.  His little plan with Stiles failed but succeeded at the same time.  They didn’t find you, but he tied himself to you, with fate lines.  Man, I really do love a powerful but clueless spark.  So, he followed you here without realizing it.”

The monster stumbled around the room, his movements slower and uncoordinated, “Then all I had to do was wait for Scotty, the alpha, to find you.  He really doesn’t realize the beacon he sends off.  He practically put a spotlight on you without ever realizing it.  So that’s when I decided to attend college!”

Theo yelled, “Shut up!  If you are going to kill me, just do it.  Leave them out of this!”

Nolan gasped, his eyes flickering from his human blue to deep purple, “What?  No hoping they’ll find and rescue you?”

The loner looked away from the monster and mumbled, “Leave them out of this.”

The monster giddily clapped his hands, “How about this?  If they find you then I’ll let you free and disappear forever.”

Theo glanced back to the monster, “Really?”

Nolan doubled over laughing as he slurred his words, “Fuck no, stupid.  I’m going to eat them too.  And since they are just wolves, I don’t have to pace myself like I do with you.”

Theo grumbled, “Why are you telling me all this?”

Nolan stumbled over to the loner and rubbed his thumb along the wound, sealing it from bleeding more, “Because I told you your blood was delicious.  I am tripping balls!  Try some.”

The monster pushed his thumb and the caramel textured blood to the loner’s lips.  Theo twisted his head and Nolan pouted, “Why don’t you want it?  It’s sooooo good.”

Theo shook his head.  Nolan rubbed the sticky fluid across his lips and held the loner’s head as he pushed his lips against Theo’s.  The loner heard the whispers and fought against the illusions to open his mouth but when he finally regained control, he felt his tongue rubbing against Nolan’s fangs.  He pulled back as two sensations hit, the nausea but also an incredible euphoria.

His eyes danced as he saw multiple, superimposed versions of Nolan as the monster said, “See what I mean.  Get some rest, I’ll see you later!”


	9. Rescue Theo!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nolan continued to torture Theo and the loner turns the tables on the soul eater; Liam and the pack save Theo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the responses. One chapter to go for our ending. I just wanted to give a special thanks to my readers here from the beginning, especially those that expected this to be fluffier than the dark angst that I write. This story almost became one that wouldn't be finished. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

Rescue Theo!

 

 

The loner sat in silence, the world outside still dark but he knew it wouldn’t be long until the sun rose.  He fought the thoughts, “your friends are wolves” and “you are a cambion, demon boy”.  Just a few days ago he didn’t have a second thought about what was real and what wasn’t and now, now he just couldn’t find his place in the world.  What does it mean?  Is this his life now, or could this be his life if he gets away? 

He didn’t hold a lot of hope for being able to walk away from this.  He remembered the illusions before Nolan showed him how things in his house really were.  He drank beer from a skull while sitting on the skinned remains of people and had no clue.  He didn’t doubt that the soul eater was using these powers to mask him and his truck.  Maybe that’s why he hadn’t called out for help.  It’s better not to try than to get his hopes up just to be crushed.

While reflected on his predicament, the loner heard the front door open and footsteps into the living room.  He listened intently as the person sat in the living room and after a few minutes, he heard a laugh.  His eyes widened when he realized it wasn’t Nolan, it was Brett.  He called out, “Brett?  Are you out there?”

He heard a confused response, “Theo?  Are you here Theo?”

The loner quickly replied, “In the back room, Brett.”

The tall wolf appeared at the threshold and Theo twisted his neck, “Brett.  I can’t believe you are here.  You’ve got to help me.”

Brett stepped into the room and his eyes widened at the loner as he muttered, “Theo!  I’ll have you out of there in no time.”

Brett stepped up to the chair and began to pull on the restraints, his eyes focused on the loner’s wrists.  He continued, “I didn’t know you were here.  Did Nolan do this?”

Theo nodded and released a sigh of relief, “Yes.  He’s trying to kill me.”

The tall wolf continued to try to pull on the restraints and commented with a bit of fear, “I can’t tear them free.”

The loner desperately responded, “Come on Brett. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

The wolf began fearfully, “I would help” but continued darkly as he raised his head to show his eyes completely black, “But you wouldn’t be my breakfast date.”

A vicious grin spread across the wolf’s face as he stood and stared at the loner with a certain hunger in his eyes.  Theo’s eyes widened as Nolan stepped into the room and laughed maniacally, “Isn’t Brett just the best?  And to think, it only took me putting him under my spell to bring out this side of him.”

The wolf eyed the soul eater lustfully, “You bring a lot out of me, bambi.”

The monster walked over to the wolf and threw his arms around his neck as the wolf cupped his hips.  He gave him a quick kiss before looking to the loner, “You didn’t think I would choose NOT to have an inside man in your friend’s precious pack, did you?”

Theo lowered his head in defeat, “I guess not.  That’s why no one else has checked here.”

Brett grinned as he nodded and innocently stated, “Don’t worry guys, I’ll talk to Nolan.”

Nolan giggled as he tapped the tall man’s chest, “Are you hungry, Brett?”

The wolf leaned towards the soul eater’s face a licked a long stripe up his cheek, “Starving.”

Nolan pulled away from their embrace and extended his claws as he slashed down the loner’s left forearm.  The blood sprayed, and Theo cried out while Nolan touched the wound and he felt the familiar warmth again.  The flow slowed to an ooze as his blood shifted to the sticky, caramel like substance.  Brett ran his finger through the substance and licked it.  His eyes lit up, “You weren’t wrong, Nolan, this is awesome.”

The monster blushed, “I know, right?”  He swiped a line of the gel before he licked it off his finger.

Theo begged the tall wolf, “Please Brett.  You’ve got to break free of his hold.”

The tall wolf casually shrugged and smiled as he responded, “Why?  To save you?  It’s not worth it.  You aren’t worth it.”

The loner angrily spat, “You know he’s just going to kill and eat you eventually.”

Nolan yelled at Theo, “I’m not.  Unless I’m in the middle of nowhere, with just the two of us and I need to eat to survive.”

Theo let his rage flow, “You stupid fucking lapdog.  Don’t you see he’s using you?”

The tall wolf growled as his facial hair grew and his fangs descended, “Shut the fuck up, Theo.”

The loner let out a scathing laugh, “Liam was right.  Your head is shoved up your ass!”

The black eyes flashed gold as the wolf backhanded the loner.  Nolan begged, “Don’t hurt him, Brett.”

The loner continued the ridicule as he shifted his face back and spat to the floor, “Is that all you’ve got?  Can’t even land a good hit against me, strapped to a chair, with your boyfriend watching?  You are just worthless.  If I were Nolan, I’d eat you at the first sign that food might be a little scarcer.”

The wolf growled and reeled back before he struck the loner square in the jaw.  The force was enough, and Nolan screamed out before the loner lost consciousness.

 

Liam wandered the streets since the pack meeting.  His blood still boiled, from most of the pack choosing to sit back and research things and from Scott.  Theo could be in danger and the only person who even lifted a finger to help was Brett, and Brett only went as far as to see Nolan. 

Liam had a feeling that was because they were secretly seeing each other.  That didn’t make sense though, why would Brett hide being with Nolan?  Everyone knew the tall wolf was bi and it’s not like Nolan was unattractive.

As the jock contemplated, he heard a voice call out from behind him as he walked down the sidewalk near his home, “Liam!  Wait up!”

He didn’t glance back as he knew his alpha jogged to catch up to him.  He nearly shouted, as his anger towards his alpha boiled in his blood, “What do you want, _Scott_?”

The true alpha flinched at the tone used to say his name as he looked to his beta, “I want to help you find Theo.  Stiles and Mason have checked the hospital, the police station, and the morgue.  It’s like he just disappeared.”

Liam glared at his alpha, “Do you want to help find him for me or for yourself?”

Scott sighed as he looked away, “A bit of both.  I just want him to be safe.”  The alpha continued quietly, “Even if that means he wants to be with you.”

The anger left the jock’s voice as he asked, “You think he is going to choose to be with me?”

Scott shrugged and lightly spoke, “Maybe.  I saw the sculptures.  I didn’t know that’s the art he was making.  I don’t know if I know him as well as I once did.”

Liam lowered his head and admitted, “I think he’s going to choose you.  I read your letters.  You really care for him.”

Scott nervously laughed as he responded, “Knowing Theo, he’ll choose neither of us.  He did run out while we were arguing.”

The little wolf sighed, “Yeah.  You’re probably right.”  After a moment both men began, “I’m Sor-“

They stopped and looked to each other, alpha to beta, browns to blues, and chuckled.  Liam continued, “I’m sorry Scott.  I shouldn’t be angry with you for trying to take care of Theo.”

Scott continued to tone, “And I’m sorry for trying to push you away from him because I was jealous of how close you two have become.”  The alpha sighed before he stated, “I never thought I’d be competing with you, my beta, to get someone’s attention.”

Liam joked, “Competing against me?  You are the True Alpha.  How do you think THAT feels?”

Scott scratched the back of his head, “I guess I never thought of it that way.”  Scott looked to their house and remarked, “Let’s call it a night and start again tomorrow.”

Liam stared at Nolan’s house and remarked, “His scent’s still so strong here.  I feel like he’s right under our noses.”

Scott wrapped an arm around his beta and guided him home, “We’ll get a better perspective tomorrow.  If he’s in trouble, we’ll find him.”

Liam smiled to Scott, “I hope you are right.”

 

The loner’s eyes shot open as he felt the searing tear across his stomach, the skin around his abs flayed.  He screamed against the burning that pulsed from his core and overwhelmed his body and senses.  He weakly glanced down to the wound and Nolan’s almost child like smile as the doe eyed monster playfully licked his exposed musculature and fat deposits.  The sticky, light reddish-brown substance coated his lower lips and chin.

Theo knew he should pass out either from pain or shock, but the monster’s deep purple eyes twinkled as he whispered against the flesh, “Don’t worry, Theo.  You aren’t going to die until I am ready for you to die.  I’ve found out some interesting things though.”

The loner gasped against the pain, his chest expanding and contracting quickly which only sent another wave of pain through him, “Please.  Stop.”

Nolan leaned back as he stood up, wiping the gel from his mouth with his fingers before his long, knotty and pointed tongue whipped out of his mouth and swiped around his chin.  He tilted his head playfully, “Okay.  Don’t worry, I’ve already sealed the bleeding.  Do you want something for the pain?”

Theo scrunched his eyebrows together, “Why do you care?  You’re eating me.”

Nolan rolled his eyes and matter-of-factly responded, “Of course I care, kind of.  If it’s too painful then you’ll be stressed, and you won’t taste as good.  I don’t want you to spoil the batch.”

Theo angrily spat, “Fuck you” before another surge of pain gripped him causing him to lose the strength to hold his head up.

Nolan lifted his right hand, every finger ending in a cruel, razor sharp claw.  He brought his pointer claw to his tongue and cut the tip of it.  A darker than red drop of his blood appeared at the tip.  He rubbed the tip of his tongue across his lips and leaned his face towards the loner.  With his human hand he lifted Theo’s chin and met his gaze.  The monster mischievously asked, “Share another kiss?”

Theo whispered curiously, “You love me, don’t you?”

With a sly smirk, Nolan gently pecked the tip of Theo’s nose.  The loner felt a surge of cold travel from his nose and over his entire body.  As Theo shuddered, Nolan responded with glee, “Of course.  You are delicious!”

As the cool feeling numbed his senses, Theo fought the aftershocks and shook his head before he calmly asked, “No, Nolan.  You really love me, and not as food, but as a person, don’t you?”

With a twisted grin, the monster responded, “I enjoyed the taste of your sister.  She begged for her life as I drank every last drop.  Like I will do to you.”

The loner resisted the urge to react angrily and weakly brought a half smile to his face, “Saying something like that.  Acting the way you have.  You’re masking it.”

Nolan’s grin disappeared and with a neutral expression he stated, “You’re wrong.”

The loner continued, “I don’t think I am.  The only person who loves you is under your spell.  Your friends are the scattered bodies in this house.  I shudder to think what happened to your parents.”

Nolan looked away and responded harshly, “You don’t know what you are talking about.”

Theo spoke, barely above a breath, “You actually meant the words in those letters.  You weren’t just using them to lure me here or at least not just to kill and eat me.  You actually love me.”

The monster’s twisted visage fell, and his image returned to his normal, human one.  He looked past the loner and out the door as he stared off and stated, “I don’t know.  Maybe.  Probably.  I’ve thought about you for so many years, devoted myself to finding you for so long.  Drank the memories and feelings of everyone I could in your life.”  The doe eyed boy hiccupped as he continued, “I probably know you better than you know yourself.”  His voice cracked and descended to a low whisper, “Maybe in another life, another time.”

The loner sighed as he nodded, “Another time.  That’s all we have isn’t it?  Time.”

Nolan’s head slowly dipped lower, his gaze falling to the floor.  Theo continued, “I know loneliness.  I know what it feels like to think that no one cares.  We’re more alike than you might think.”

The timid boy sniffed his nose as he rubbed his eyes.  As he dropped his arms, Theo could see that they had streaks of vibrant red fluid instead of clear tears.  The loner’s tone shifted even softer, as he tried to coax the wounded boy without triggering the monster, “I’m sorry I rejected your feelings.  I should’ve realized sooner.”  With a bit more conviction in his voice he repeated, “Nolan, I’m sorry.”

Slowly, Nolan met his gaze, two long streaks of blood trailed from his eyes, over his pale and freckled cheeks.  The boy murmured, “Why haven’t you screamed for help?”

While gazing into the blues, Theo lightly shrugged, “I don’t know.  I guess I didn’t expect to be saved.  Maybe.  Maybe I’ve resigned that if I have to die, at least it’s by the hand of someone who loves me.”  He chuckled, the sound full of self-loathing, “It’s not like I’ve known a life full of love.  At least death could be.”

After a moment of silence, Theo continued, “I don’t blame you, Nolan.  We can only do what is in our nature.  I understand.  I’m just a cambion, a demon spawn.  I only cause pain and death for anyone around me.  My friends are fighting right now because of me.  The people from my past are dead because of me.”

Nolan whispered, his tone full of shame, “I’m the one that killed them.”

The loner held the eye contact as he stated with a tone of quiet confidence, “But it was because of me.  All those people could still be alive if I would’ve been home that night.  Which is why I feel horrible for what I’ve done to you.  I might’ve hurt you worst of all.  All this death, all of these memories clouding your mind, because of me.”

The trembling, week boy fought against himself as the lines of red darkened.  He held the contact, the deep, cutting, intimate gaze for several minutes.  The loner saw the shift behind the boy’s eyes as the monster reared his head.  The purples returned as Nolan spat, “If you think this heart felt confession is going to save you, I’ve got news for you.”

Theo slowly shook his head, “I don’t think it will.  I’m just glad it will be you.”  He laughed to himself quietly, “And since you’ve drank some of my memories and feelings, you know I’m telling the truth.”  After a moment, the loner’s small smile appeared, “Thank you.”

The deep rage within the monster surfaced and he backhanded Theo, “Fuck you, THEO!  FUCK YOU!”  Nolan ran out of the room as the loner’s smile shifted into his usual smug grin.

The loner released a sigh of relief.  He glanced over his injuries and noticed that whatever is in Nolan’s saliva is acting a bandage.  His stomach looked like the skin was shredded, his left arm had streaks down the length that looked like a vicious feral cat used him as a post.  His legs carried streaks and the loner realized that he must’ve been unconscious for most of the new injuries.  He figured that another day of this and it wouldn’t matter if anyone tried to save him, he’d most likely die from massive infection.

A loud knock resounded through the house and Theo glanced towards the living room.  He saw Brett stumble off the couch and sway towards the door.  He tried to fight against his delirious state as he listened.

 

Liam knocked loudly on the front door to Nolan’s house.  His mind wouldn’t let him just accept his rival’s responses about Nolan, so he needed to see for himself.  As the door opened, the jock caught the scents of the house.  He mainly smelled Brett and Nolan but something strange came across his nose.  A sickly sweet and yet noticeably iron like scent. 

He looked to Brett, the tall wolf appeared to have just woke up, but his eyes were glassy, and his pupils didn’t respond to the light change.  A thought crossed the wolf’s mind, “He’s high.”

Brett slurred, “What do you want Liam?  I was just napping.”

Liam smiled boyishly, “Nothing.  I just wanted to see you and Nolan.  Maybe see if either of you- “

The tall wolf cut him off, “Theo isn’t here.”  That was the problem.  Liam caught the uptick.  The wolf who could conceal his motives easily just missed 101.  When the tall wolf said “isn’t” his heartrate shifted. 

Little wolf fought against his rising anger and replied, “Can I speak with Nolan?  I feel like I’m missing something.”

Brett lazily shook his head, “I’m the only one here right now.”

Strike two caught the wolf since he noticeably heard two heartbeats.  Liam growled as he continued, “Why are you lying, Brett?  I’m going to speak to Nolan.”

The tall wolf giggled, clearly still too influenced to respond with anger, “No, you aren’t because I’m not goi- “

The wolf didn’t finish the sentence before the beta cracked the tall wolf’s chin with his rage, channeled through his fist.  With a dull thud, the taller man collapsed to the wooden floor.  Liam stepped over him into the house.  The living room appeared plain but clean and he couldn’t catch Theo’s scent.

He caught the footsteps as Nolan wandered from the back of the house and stood next to the half wall that separated the living room from the kitchen.  With an annoyed smile, he asked, “Why did you hit Brett?”

Liam growled as he felt something off and continued to catch scents and listen, “Because he lied to me.”

Nolan rolled his eyes and walked past the wolf towards his boyfriend.  He tutted as he spoke, “I told Brett he should always be honest with people.  He never listens.”

Liam followed the man’s movements and listened for the heartbeat but something else didn’t sit right.  The heartbeat still sounded like it came from around the kitchen and Nolan was now standing by the door.

Liam demanded harshly, “Where’s Theo?”

Nolan shrugged and giggled, “I don’t know, Liam.  I think you should leave.”

The heart beat was steady, too steady.  It didn’t belong to the man that spoke.  Too many things fell into place and Liam released a loud howl as he let the wolf take over.  His eyes burned gold as his claws grew.  He snarled, “Where is THEO?”

Nolan rolled his eyes and shifted them deep purple as his teeth grew and sharpened and his claws extended.  The illusion fell, and the torrent of acrid scents assaulted him, the rotting flesh, the combination of dried and fresh blood, the scents of fear and despair that clung to the walls, but through all the scents that pushed the wolf’s nausea, one tiny fraction of a smell caught his nose, hope.  Someone was hopeful, and not just anyone, Theo.  He turned his head and saw an open door where a wall once stood, next to the kitchen.

Liam regretted being distracted almost instantly when razor sharp talons tore down the side of his face.  He growled as he launched himself into Nolan’s chest, his claws poised to rip.  The soul eater caught his movement and used the momentum to throw him through one of the empty “couches” of leathered human skin and bone.

Another wave of nausea ran through the beta as he pulled himself to his feet, as he pulled the broken piece of a femur that pierced his arm.  Nolan tutted, “Stupid wolf.  I was going to eat you after I finished with Theo but now, I guess I’ll eat you first.”

Liam rushed the monster and slashed into his chest.  His claws pierced the soft outer tissue and caught in between his ribs.  Nolan grabbed his arm and quickly sank his teeth into the wolf’s bicep.  A bitter cold swept through the wolf and he felt his joints stiffen as his senses dulled.  The soul eater easily slammed his open palm against the beta’s chest and Liam tumbled to the ground.

Nolan spat as Liam struggled to get to his feet and found that his body didn’t want to respond.  “I’m not going to eat you Liam.  I’m just going to kill you!”

Liam rolled to his stomach to help push himself up and felt the pressure of someone running their arms under his elbows before they pulled him off the ground.  His feet dangled, barely touching the ground as the person held him up with supernatural strength.

Nolan giddily clapped and remarked, “Thank you Brett!  You really are the best.”

Liam growled weakly before Nolan slashed across his chest.  The talons cut superficially but the blood began to spray as the monster continuously slashed his torso.  He couldn’t feel any pain, but he could feel his body trying to heal as the tissue opened quicker than his body could close it.

In a matter of seconds, Nolan’s entire body was flecked with blood spray, his pale face freckled more with the beta’s blood than his natural marks.  The tall wolf pushed Liam down to his knees before Nolan raised his right, blood covered claw and stated, “Any last words, Liam?”

The beta grinned as he asked, “Nolan, why do wolves howl?”

The monster rolled his eyes before he replied, “I don’t know.  To sound pretty?”

Liam chuckled, “To alert their pack.”

The moment the beta finished speaking he felt the claws tear into Brett’s back before someone tossed him aside, dropping the beta.  Scott charged past Liam and slashed towards the soul eater.  Nolan managed to anticipate the attack enough to block the overhead slash as Stiles call out, “Scotty, get clear!”

The true alpha’s eyes widened as he kicked the soul eater backwards, into the half wall, and threw himself backwards.  A surge of heat travelled over the beta’s back before a molten ball of magical fire and energy struck Nolan, dead center of his chest.  The monster flew over the wall and through the kitchen walls, landing with a thud in the far back room. 

Jackson and Mason pulled the beta to stand, each man holding his arms.  Mason commented, “I see you found the vampire.”

The door to the far back room swung open as an enraged Nolan with burning purple eyes stepped out and screamed, “I am NOT A FUCKING VAMPIRE! So you brought a pack?  I can make a pack!”

Several copies flew off the soul eater and the Nolans attacked the pack.  Scott slashed and parried the Nolan in front of him and Jackson barely dodged a slash from one as he pushed Liam’s weight towards Mason.  Isaac screamed in pain from the back of the room and Liam looked over to see one of the Nolan’s tear deeply across his chest.

The soul eater grinned as Scott yelped in pain.  The packs attacks didn’t seem to hurt the copies and another Nolan peeled off the original and charged Stiles.  The emissary didn’t move in the scene of carnage and only raised his eye brow as the Nolan slashed towards him.  The claw passed through him and Stiles yelled, “I AM DONE WITH THESE ILLUSIONS!” 

The spark released a wave of energy and the copies disappeared.  Scott found his own claws stabbed into his chest while Jackson appeared to be choking himself and Isaac slashed into his thigh.

Nolan gasped, and Scott ran towards him.  The soul eater turned to run only to find the claws of the alpha tear into his arm.  He released a scream and Liam’s anger returned.  His rage, Theo’s pain, everything flooded him, and his vision tainted red.  As Scott pulled the monster back towards the pack, Liam charged towards him and slammed his claws up the monster’s stomach and into his chest cavity.  His breaths huffed as he watched the purple light in the monster’s eyes dim.

With his rage still fueling him, he callously ripped the body from Scott’s claw and tossed it into the back room.  His vision returned to normal when he felt his back hit the far wall, his alpha’s palms firmly holding his shoulders to the wall.  Scott yelled, “Show me your eyes Liam!”

The beta groaned, “What?”

Jackson commented, “Your eyes, dipshit.  You know, to see if they are blue now.”

Liam gasped and concentrated as he forced them closed only to open them with his wolf on display. 

Scott’s desperate expression faded as he weakly stated, “Still Gold.”

The jock released a sigh as Mason called out, “Guys, we need to do something about Theo!”

Scott and Liam ran into the room in the hallway next to the kitchen and saw the mangled state the loner was in.  He was curled up on the floor, laying on his right side.  There were strips cut from his back and his musculature showed across his torso and left arm.  He feebly groaned in pain as Stiles attempted to work some magic.  After a sigh of frustration, the emissary commented, “He naturally resists magic.  We’ve got to do something, or he is going to die.”

Mason asked, “Can we take him to the hospital?”

Jackson glanced at the loner, “Would still die.  Look at the amount of infected tissue he has.”

Liam pulled Scott’s arm and said, “Scott, you have to give him the bite!”

Scott looked to his beta, “It might kill him!”

Stiles looked to his brother, “Dude, if you don’t, he’s probably going to die anyway.  Call me a half glass full kind of guy but if the bite kills him, well he was already on that path.”

Mason argued, “But isn’t he something else?  Won’t that kill him?”

Jackson quickly replied, “Maybe not.  What if it awakens it like it did for Lydia?”

Stiles motioned his hand towards Jackson and nodded, “That’s what I was thinking.”

Liam’s eyes welled with tears as he pleaded with his alpha, “Scott, please!  Save Theo!”

Scott sighed as knelt beside the loner and rubbed a hand across Theo’s face.  The loner seemed to wake up as his eye lids flickered and he tried to look to Scott.  The alpha softly asked, “Do you want me to give you the bite?”

The loner twisted his head as he croaked, “Bite?”

Scott nodded, “If it takes, you’ll become a wolf, like us.”

Theo barely breathed, “I cam- “before his eyes closed.

Stiles slapped Scott on the back, “The “I”’s have it!  He said I can.  Bite away!”

Scott looked to his pack and saw them waiting but also saw the approval of his action.  He took Theo’s left arm into his hands and extended his fangs before he sank them into the loner’s bicep.

Almost immediately, Theo audibly sucked in a huge breath, his eyes wide and his expression in complete surprise as he sat up.  His eyes shifted from his mottled steel hazel to a fiery red center with jagged liquid yellow around the edge of the iris.  A wave of heat pushed through the room as Theo’s injures closed fast enough to almost seem like they completely vanished.  Scott pulled back from the bite and gasped at the wounds.

Liam pushed towards the loner as Theo’s eyes closed and his body fell to the body with a loud thud. 

Stiles commented, “Well, that was different.  I don’t think he’s a wolf but that kind of goes with our original theory or theories.”

Jackson smirked at the emissary, “He’s not a unicorn.”

Isaac called out from the back room, “Guys?  We’ve got a problem.”

Scott and Jackson stepped out of the room towards the back room.  Liam scooted closer to Theo and shook his gently, “Theo, are you alright?”

The loner didn’t respond, and the waves of heat were replaced with an air of cold.  The beta looked to Stiles and Mason, “Is this normal?”

Mason shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not.  We don’t know what he is.  He might just need to rest.”

Scott darted back to the doorway, “Nolan’s not dead.  That wasn’t even Nolan that we were fighting.”

Liam gasped and followed his alpha to the back room.  When he stepped over the threshold, the room stank of rotted bodies.  Bones lined the wall and Isaac pointed to the decapitated body in the center of the room.  He said, “This was Nolan.” 

Liam shook his head, “This doesn’t make sense.”

Scott sighed and looked to his pack, “Let’s take Theo and Brett back and figure out our next moves.”


	10. Theo is Alone No More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo meets his other half as a cambion; The pack brings him back

Theo is Alone No More

 

 

_The loner stood in a large, empty, dim room with a layer of fog the rose just above his waist.  He took a few steps in the low light and realized the light within the room shifted with him.  His shoes squeaked against the hard stone floor, but the sound seemed to be delayed by half a step.  He took a deep breath and spun around slowly, taking in the vast nothingness that filled the room with no discernable walls or ceiling._

_He heard the scratching of claws against the floor behind him and turned to see a dark figure moving towards him.  The outline showed a person with curved horns that protruded from his forehead and twisted back to point forward.  Large wings rose from the beings back, covered with a thin layer of skin over the knobbed fingers that ran from upper frame of the limbs.  The fingers ended in sharp points as the bone pushed through the taut skin at the edges.  A long, thin tail whipped around the figure and ended in a noticeable triangular spike._

_As the figure stepped into the light, Theo caught the look of his skin, faintly scaled with a bluish-green hue imposed over the normal pale flesh tone.  Dark black veins travelled up his torso and grew around his heart before more branched to his limbs and up his neck.  His deep, fiery red with molten yellow jagged spiked eyes caught the loner’s attention next.  The eyes appeared to stare through the loner as the figure stepped up.  Theo blushed as he looked at the man, his hair messily tossed around the horns, his smug grin with the tiniest of fangs that pushed past out of his mouth and rested playfully against his full lower lip._

_It took a moment for the loner to recognize the features as he stared at awe at this being’s unworldly beauty.  The figure exclaimed in the loner’s voice, “It’s nice to know we still like to masturbate.”_

_Theo gasped at the joke as he weakly asked, “You’re me?”_

_The demon shrugged, “I’m a part of you.  You are the other part, the soulful, human part.  Together we make the person that is currently unconscious with your friends looking over.  They are worried you know.”_

_The loner remarked suspiciously, “You’re a demon.  Like Nolan?  Or the Soul Eater that was in Nolan?”_

_His demon self shook his head a laughed softly, “Not like the Soul Eater.  That thing exists to feed on the dredges of society.  Its job was originally to eat the sins and torturous memories of humanity but somewhere along the line it got a taste for life force and energy.”_

_Theo nodded as he took in the information before he asked, “Why was he after us?”_

_The demon stepped up to the loner and placed his red tipped clawed hand on his shoulder, “You, my dear half.  He was after you.  Our existence together shouldn’t, well, exist.  We should be a weak, subservient mortal side bound to a strong demonic force.  But here we are.  You possess an innocent soul, still, and we are merged as equals.”_

_The loner murmured, “The bite.  Scott bit me.  That did this?”_

_The demon laughed loudly as he slapped the mortal on the back, “No.  The bite is the reason I was finally able to release our power and recover from the soul eater’s wounds.  We wouldn’t have been such easy prey if you would’ve just accepted the trial and pushed past through the pain.”_

_Theo shook his head in confusion, “The trial?  The pain?”_

_Demon Theo smirked and rolled his eyes, “You know, your weird bouts of nausea whenever you were about to get laid.  Whenever sex was a possibility.  All you had to do was push through the initial sickness and then your powers would’ve kicked in.”_

_Theo meekly asked, “Powers?  None of this makes sense.”_

_Demon Theo stepped away, his claws scratching the floor harshly, before he sarcastically replied, “Gods!  Do I have to go back to the beginning?”  He huffed in annoyance before he continued, “When a human and a demon really love each other, or just really want to fuck, we aren’t that picky, then they sometimes make a baby.”  He stepped back towards the loner and playfully slapped his face, “Like you, Baby boy!”_

_The loner snarled, “I know where babies come from, asshole.  I meant about the powers.”_

_The demon retorted, “Exactly!  I was getting to it.  You are an offspring of such a relationship.  Your mother was full demon, your dad, well he was just human, but given our existence, maybe something more human that just.  Either way, your demon side requires food and I don’t mean that oatmeal gruel and fruits that you eat for breakfast.”_

_Theo shook his head before he snidely remarked, “I’m guessing that you mean for me to eat like the soul eater did!”  He turned away from the demon, “I’m not doing that.”_

_The demon’s tone softened as he walked back and gently placed a claw on the man’s shoulder, “That’s not what I am talking about.  You aren’t going to physically eat their flesh, blood, or bone.”  He giggled a bit before he commented, “Well maybe a bone but that’s different.”_

_Theo turned and faced the whimsical smirk of the demon, “Then what?”_

_The demon continued, “Through physical connection, we can pull energy from people.  Now if they are normal mortals, that can end really badly, really quick.  If you would’ve finished with Christa, well, you would’ve known what you were, but she would’ve died.”_

_His eyes widened, “I would’ve killed her!?!?!  I couldn’t kill her!”_

_The demon rolled his eyes and mocked the human, “Yeah, because she is SOOOO much better off now.  She works as a manager of a Chipotle’ right?  No?  She’s dead, food for the Soul Eater!  She would’ve been given a not-so-quick, wait virgin, I forgot, okay quick painless death.”  The demon caught the loner’s glare, “Hey, you’re a virgin.  You don’t rock worlds your first time out the gate.  You’d be lucky to move the headboard, much less the world. And she would’ve had a proper funeral if you awakened when you were with her.  I’m pretty sure her femurs were cut and formed into the legs of a park bench near the Oregon border.  It’s hard to keep track of what that monster did.”_

_The loner accused, “How can you be so callous?”_

_His demon self thumbed his chest with a deep red claw, “Demon, remember?  Not exactly known for being nice to fragile, squishy things.”_

_Theo shook his head forcefully, “No, I am NOT killing people!  If that means I die, so be it.”_

_The demon’s tone softened immensely, “Whoa!  No one wants that.  And I said normal mortals.  Last time I checked, you have two big strong, rough and tough, wolves that want to see how stiff your bone can be!”_

_Theo sighed as he lowered his head, “Scott and Liam.”_

_The demon nodded, “I don’t think we could pull enough energy from either to actually do any real harm.  I wouldn’t get them drunk to do it though.  Wolfsbane might just weaken them enough with your power.”_

_Theo looked to the demon, “Wait, this is all real?  Like I am not imagining it?”_

_The demon shook his head and widely smiled, his teeth appearing normal except the two cute, but noticeably sharp fangs, “This is all real, Theo!  Your friends, and not just the wolves would love some hot cambion breeding action!  Hell, most of the people around you would.  And by the way, you’re welcome!  It’s one of the traits you’ll eventually be able to control, but for now just happens on its own.  Kind of like bringing flies to honey or whatever.”_

_The words struck the loner as he lowered his head, “So they don’t really love me, or even care for me?  It’s just pheromones?”_

_The demon animatedly gesticulated, “Who cares?!?!  Maybe, maybe not but you should be more concerned with not shuffling yourself loose the mortal coil.”  He stepped away from the loner, “I don’t know how I got saddled with this human.  Did I do something in a past existence to earn this?”  He playfully pleaded to the sky, “Tell me what I did wrong!!!!”_

_Theo glared at the demon’s jokes, “This isn’t funny!  This is my life!”_

_Demon Theo turned back to his human side with a raised eyebrow, “Our life.  I’m just as much a part as you.  Now if you want to curl up into a ball and quit existence, then just relinquish control to me.  I can use this life to accomplish something.”_

_The loner’s eyes widened as he argued, “I’m not giving up.  I just don’t know what to do.”_

_The demon shrugged, “You’ll figure out soon enough.  But, at this point, I’m pretty sure you are scaring your friends to death so maybe you should wake up soon.”_

_Theo tilted his head and curiously asked, “How am I scaring them?”_

_The demon giggled as he brought a clawed hand to cover his fangs, “Well, you are feverish and unconscious, with erratic breathing, mumbling ever few moments, pale from the blood loss.”  The demon airily drew out the words as his eyes bounced from one side to another, “Oh!  And we May-be don’t have a pulse when we are in this protective coma-like state.  But hey, we are definitely not cadaver-like!”_

_The loner gasped with wide eyes as the demon faded before his eyes as he whispered, “It’s been a good talk.  Look forward to seeing us on the other side!”_

The pack stood around the table in the kitchen.  Scott stood at his place at the head of the table with Stiles, Mason, and Lydia to his right, and Jackson and Isaac to his left.  Liam stood on the opposite side of the table as Brett snoozed on the couch.

The true alpha began, “Well, we have Theo back and we know what was killing the people around here.  I can’t believe so many people were killed here, and no one seemed to notice.”

Isaac shot a look to Lydia and the banshee replied, “Nolan could mask the kills from me too.”

Scott interrupted, “We aren’t here to blame anyone.”  He glanced to Stiles, “Any word on Theo and Brett?”

The emissary nodded, “Brett should be fine now.  The brew purged any toxins that Nolan used to control him.  I think we should consider ourselves lucky that he lived.”

Liam eagerly asked, “What about Theo?  His heart stopped beating as we left the house.  Is he dead?”

Mason answered, “I don’t think so.  He’s still breathing, and he seems to be moving.  What if this is like a cocoon for his actual form.”

Jackson smirked before he started to laugh, “I guess I owe Stiles twenty bucks if a unicorn comes walking down the stairs.”

Lydia glared at her boyfriend, “Do you always have to be a dick?”

The playboy looked to his girlfriend with a puppy dog pout, “No, but you still love me.”

The banshee playfully rolled her eyes with a slight grin as Stiles cleared his throat and continued, “So if he’s in a cocoon, what is he going to become?”

Scott replied, “We know he isn’t a wolf.  Not with those eyes.”

Isaac elbowed the playboy as he remarked, “Or another scaly kanima.”

Jackson smirked to the curly haired wolf, “Fuck you, Isaac.”

Mason glared at the two wolves as he remarked, “And since Stiles enacted the spell on the house, not everyone wants Theo anymore, right?”

Isaac commented, “I’m good.”

Jackson nodded followed by Lydia while Liam looked away.  The wolf heard a stirring from the loner’s room and remarked, “He’s been like this since yesterday.  Shouldn’t we do something?”

Scott responded, “I agree.  We still have to try and track down Nolan.  We can’t let him kill more people or try to take Theo again.”

Jackson looked to the true alpha, “I vote for hunting down Nolan.  I owe him an ass kicking.”

Stiles smirked as he spoke towards the playboy, “Because he woke up your loving for choking?”

Lydia rolled her eyes and airily replied, “That’s nothing new.”  Jackson’s mouth fell as he shot a look to his girlfriend while Mason and Stiles giggled.

Isaac added, “I’m with Jackson.”

Scott nodded, and Lydia remarked, “Then I should go with these two to make sure they are safe.”

The true alpha replied, “That sounds good.  We can stay here and make sure he doesn’t attack Theo again.”

Liam looked to Stiles and pleaded, “How long is he going to be like this?”

The emissary shrugged, “I don’t know.  It’s been a day and he hasn’t changed.  If we could figure out what he was, it would help.”

Liam looked back upstairs and while the pack spoke, he heard the loner faintly call out, “Liam.”

The beta’s eyes widened as he whispered, “Did you hear that?”

Scott replied, “He spoke.”

Mason looked to the true alpha, “What did he say?”

The beta ran up the stairs before Scott could answer and Mason laughed, “Of course, he called out for Liam.”

Stiles looked to Scott and asked, his voice confident at first but faded as the true alpha ran after his beta, “Should we go and see what is happening…or you could just run away from me while I speak.  That’s great Scott.  Feeling the love here.”

The emissary looked to the remaining members of the pack, “Alright.  I guess we have our plan.  Meeting adjourned.”

 

Liam threw open the door to Theo’s room and watched the loner roll in his bed, his covers kicked away to reveal his near naked body, covered with a layer of sweat.  His skin carried the pallor of death as he weakly thrashed around.  His eyes flickered open, revealing the red with yellow rims as he weakly called, “Liam.  Liam.”

The jock ran to his side as the true alpha stepped through the threshold.  Stiles and Mason followed while Liam took a seat in the chair next to the loner and took his hand.  He whispered, “Theo.  I’m here.”

Theo rolled to face the wolf, his eyes flickering of their own accord as he whispered, “Li.  It hurts.”

Scott leaned towards Stiles and remarked, “His heart still isn’t beating.”

The emissary shook his head and replied, “It doesn’t make sense.”

Mason’s eyes lit up as black lines began to travel up Liam’s arm.  He asked, “What if we didn’t understand what Theo said before the bite.”

Scott and Stiles looked to Mason as Liam gasped.  The black lines that travelled up the beta’s arms grew in width and darkness as another set of black lines began to travel up the loner’s arms.  Liam’s eyes flashed gold as his claws, fangs, and fur emerged.  His skin paled as the color began to return to the loner.

Stiles asked Mason as the boy’s eyes remained locked on the exchange, “What do you mean?”

Mason pointed to Theo as the loner’s hand snaked around the wolf’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss.  The human caught the fangs that descended from the loner’s mouth but pointed to the horns that began to grow and the tail that slithered out from behind the hem of his underwear.  He distantly stated, “What if Theo didn’t say, I can but was trying to say I am a Cambion.”

Stiles’ eyes widened as he looked to the new developments and replied, “A Cambion.  Theo is a fucking half-demon!”

Scott looked to Liam and growled at Theo as the dark lines travelled the length of the loner’s body and Liam weakly gasped, from pleasure, into the cambion’s mouth.

Theo released his kiss and pulled away from the beta as he looked to Scott.  The entire room heard the initial, Thump-thump.  Scott couldn’t resist the smile that broke on his face while Liam continued to stare at the loner in euphoric awe.

Mason elbowed Stiles, “See, Cambion!  That was on my list, so I win our bet!”  A confident grin formed on the man’s face while Stiles grumbled, “Fine.  I wanted to teach you some magic anyway.”  Stiles looked to Scott and remarked, “You want to leave the room before the inevitable happens?”

Scott gasped to his best friend, “What?”

Mason shook his head as he began to step out of the room, “If Theo’s demon side just woke up, he’s going to become attached to the first life force he felt.  And since I know the way those two looked at each other, I don’t want to see my best friend get demon handled.”

As Mason left Stiles nudged Scott, “I don’t want to see or smell this so I’m going to go check on Brett.  And find some sort of silence or noise cancelling incantation or something.” 

The emissary left, and Scott walked over to the side of the bed and stood next to Liam.  His red eyes met Theo’s red and yellows and he spoke softly, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

Theo smiled and motioned for Scott to lean forward.  When the true alpha leaned down, Theo touched foreheads with him and said, “Thank you for saving me, Scott.  I’m sorry.”

The true alpha leaned back and half-smiled, hurt in his eyes, “Don’t be.  You’re part of the pack now.  We’ll talk later.”

Theo nodded, and the true alpha stepped out of the room and closed the door behind himself.  Theo looked to the dazed beta and said, “It was just a kiss, Liam.”

Liam’s eyes came into focus and he saw the tail swish in the air and looked to the curved horns before he met the cambion’s gaze, “You’re beautiful.”

Theo grinned seductively as he pointed to the new appendages on his head, “I’m also horny.”

The wolf blushed and began, “I can’t believe we came so close, I came so close to losing you.”

Theo argued, “But you found me, Li.  You howled and brought the pack.  Another day and I would’ve died.”

Liam raised a finger to Theo’s lips to shush the words and continued, “Stiles broke the hold you had on everyone and I still want to be here.  I still want to be with you.  I know it’s real.  Theo, I think I- “

The demon side spoke to Theo as Liam began, “Can you find another use for his mouth?  I do not want to listen to fumbling declarations of love.”

Theo reached over and pulled the wolf into the bed, on top of him and pushed his lips against the wolf’s.  The pure, chaste kiss quickly devolved as Liam deepened it, his tongue rubbed against the cambions as they played their childish game of kissing for dominance.

The demon commented in his head, “Okay, so we are going with Disney rated.  I guess that’s okay.  I’d rather shove him on our cock, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

 

The next day, the pack stood around the table in the kitchen with Theo standing next to Liam on the opposite side of Scott.  The beta’s arm was snaked around the cambion’s waist as Stiles glared at them.

The true alpha looked to Lydia and asked, “Has there been any sign of Nolan?”

The banshee shook her head, “Everything he owned has disappeared and no one has seen or smelled him.”

Isaac almost gagged as he recalled, “And his illusions fell away.  Needless to say, the house across the street is being combed by the police.”

Jackson looked to Scott, “I think he’s given up on us, at least for now.”

Stiles placed his hand on his best friend’s shoulder and said, “Isn’t there something you’d like to say?”

Scott proudly exclaimed, “I’d like to introduce the newest member of our pack, Theo.”

The loner bashfully smiled, and Jackson commented, “So we no longer have a token human living in the house.”  The playboy looked to Mason, “I guess we are back to one.”

Mason smirked as he raised his hand and said, “I don’t know.  I’ve learned a few things already.”  The man snapped his fingers and the lights over the table popped and glass fell.  Stiles glared at his apprentice, “Mase, we aren’t ready for you to break the poor house because you don’t have control yet.”

Mason nervously chuckled as the pack looked to him in equal parts confusion and awe, “I guess I should practice more.”

Theo remarked, “Don’t worry, Mase, I can fix it.”  He looked to Liam and grinned, “Hey, Little Wolf, want to come with me to my storage and get the spare bulbs and wiring?”

Liam looked up to his boyfriend, “I think I would enjoy that.  Keys upstairs?”

The loner nodded, and Liam stepped towards the stairs.  As soon as he turned around, Theo grabbed his ass and the wolf looked back with a cherry face.  Theo just smiled, and Liam continued up the stairs. 

Jackson remarked, “Is that really necessary, Theo?”

The loner smugly grinned to the playboy, “I’ve got to check to make sure they are ripe.  Can’t get them too green.”  His grin widened to show his tiny demon fangs.”

Stiles flailed his arms and remarked loudly, “Our pack has a half-demon.  I guess that’s a lot more research.”

The pack, except Stiles, laughed until Liam called out, “Theo, can you come upstairs?”

Isaac remarked, “Isn’t he the insatiable one?”

Jackson elbowed the curly haired beta and glanced towards Scott.  The true alpha smiled but the signals that he was a bit down flowed.

Theo remarked, “Be right up” before he jogged up the stairs.

When he walked in, Liam stood just inside the door and stared at the floor.  Theo stepped beside his boyfriend and saw the folded letter.  He looked to Liam curiously before he picked it up.  As he unfolded it, he remarked, “Would Scott leave another note?”

Liam shook his head as the cambion read:

_Theo_

_I know you aren’t expecting this and I hope you finish reading before you tear it up.  I thought I was the one looking into your soul, into your core but I was wrong.  I haven’t felt human in so many years and you saw that in me.  You looked past the monster and saw me.  I’ve got to find a way to purge myself of the monster within.  I remember not always being this way and maybe, just maybe I might find my way back.  I’ve got a lot to atone for which will probably put me in the ground but at least I can do it on my terms, not the terms of the monster._

_I hope that whoever you choose to be with makes you happy.  You’ve already dealt with enough sadness and isolation for a lifetime, it’s about time your life filled with love and acceptance.  Live well, Theo._

_I’ll see you again, one day._

_I love you._

_Your Admirer_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed the fic. I really enjoyed writing the Demon Theo in this last chapter and I may have to include him in future stories. Clearly the Thiam's won from comments and this is the ending. As always, comments and kudos are adored and appreciated and I hope I can entertain in the future.


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